Eight men sentenced to jail over Ireland's biggest ever drug seizure
Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk (32) and Vitaliy Vlasoi (33); Iranians Soheil Jelveh (52) and Saeid Hassani (39); Filipino Harold Estoesta (31); and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen (50) previously pleaded guilty that between September 24th and 26th, 2023, both dates inclusive, at locations outside the State, on board the vessel MV Matthew they possessed cocaine for sale or supply contravention of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations. The drugs have been valued at €157 million.
Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa (62), with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk, and Jamie Harbron (31) of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK pleaded guilty that on dates between September 21st and 25th, 2023, at a location within the State, he attempted to possess cocaine for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying to another, in contravention of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017 to 2023, made under section 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 and at the time when the controlled drug was in his possession, the market value was €13,000 or more.
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'Go like f**k mate': How the MV Matthew ship and a €157 million drugs haul was seized
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Ms Justice Melanie Greally today sentenced Ozgen to 20 years in prison; Estoesta to 18 years; Jelveh to 17.5 years; Vlasoi to 16.5 years; Hassani to 15 years; Gavryk to 14 years; Lapa to 14.5 years and Harbron to 13.5 years.
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The court previously heard that while the MV Matthew was sailing under the flag of Panama, it was owned by a Dubai-based company known as Symphony Marine'. It departed from Curacao, off the Venezuelan coast and sailed across the Atlantic before arriving in Irish territorial waters.
The court also heard that an organised crime group in Dubai instructed the crew of the MV Matthew as it attempted to evade law enforcement and deliver the drugs to an Irish vessel. Despite repeated warnings from the Irish Navy, including warning shots fired from the LE William Butler Yeats, the person overseeing the operation told the crew to keep going and head for a safe port in Sierra Leone.
The original plan was that the MV Matthew would deliver the drugs to a second ship, the Castlemore, but rough seas and technical difficulties caused the Irish vessel to miss the connection and later to run aground.
More to follow . . .
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