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The Journal
14-07-2025
- The Journal
Behind the scenes: Ships delivering drugs to Ireland are making drop-offs in other countries first
CARGO SHIPS DELIVERING large amounts of cocaine and other drugs to Ireland are suspected of making deliveries off the coast of Spain and Africa before coming to Irish shores, The Journal has learned. The ships, which are colloquially called motherships, meet smaller vessels off the coast and transfer the drugs in a process known as 'coopering'. Sources have said that there is growing evidence that the drug ship, the MV Matthew , the site of Ireland's biggest ever drug seizure, may have made a drop-off at the Canary Islands before moving on towards Ireland in September 2023. It is believed that a shipment of drugs last week may have performed a similar delivery off the coast of Spain, having travelled from South America before coming up towards Ireland. The transport of the huge quantities of drugs – there was an estimated €157 million worth of cocaine on board the MV Matthew – involves, for the most part, legitimate ships that are bringing goods or raw materials to Europe. Security sources have told The Journal that they are seeing a massive spike in intelligence analysis identifying corrupt crew members who are facilitating the trade. Sources said not all of the crew on the ships transporting large amounts of drugs, who are generally low-paid workers, are aware of the illegal cargo, but that there are some sailors on these ships arriving into Ireland that have done deals with drug cartels. Sources said some of the ships have tacit approval from captains and shipping companies for drug cartel operatives to travel on the voyage across the Atlantic. A pattern has been spotted where these people are listed as having unusual and extremely specific jobs such as air conditioning specialists – they are also listed aboard as ill-defined as cleaners. On the MV Matthew, a man called Cumali Ozgen was listed as a cook and cleaner for the ship, but was in reality a major player in the cartel that organised the transport of the drugs. Rather than staying with other low-level employees on the ship during the voyage, he was in a plush pilot cabin next to the bridge to monitoring proceedings. Ozgen was born in Turkey but had moved to the Netherlands, where it is suspected that he had connections to an Iranian/Dutch and north African gang. He got the biggest sentence last week out of the eight men who got jail terms for their role on the MV Matthew, receiving 20 years. The MV Matthew mothership in Cork Harbour. Niall O'Connor / The Journal Niall O'Connor / The Journal / The Journal Outlier The MV Matthew was an outlier: sources have said that the vast majority of shipments coming into Ireland with large-scale quantities of drugs are onboard ships that are also carrying legitimate cargo. The Matthew was bought solely to carry the drugs to Ireland. In one incident in which drugs were allegedly found onboard a ship arriving at a location on the west coast of Ireland last year, the drugs were found by Customs officers and gardaí in a room inside the crew quarters after a missed drop-off. Advertisement Maritime intelligence experts and gardaí monitoring the activities of the suspected ships have spotted a number of patterns. One of those is that they are able to identify the moment when smugglers 'spoof' their GPS location data, by assessing ship tracking data. This 'spoofing' is where a technological solution is used to mask the real location of the ship and to display another location. It was notably used by the crew of the MV Matthew when it was loading the drugs onto the ship at Venezuela in 2023. It is understood that it did something similar off the coast of Spain. Ireland and Spain are not the only targets with African countries such as Senegal and Cape Verde also being used as delivery points. The drugs then go either by another ship or are taken by land to cross into Europe. Sources have said Irish involvement in a European naval mission to the area was considered but it did not materialise. The US coastguard and European navies have been off the African coast monitoring the movements of suspected drug ships. Instead the European Union is donating €12m to the Cape Verde military. Spain's national police and other agencies claimed in June that they had dismantled a criminal network involved in trafficking drugs from South America to the Canary Islands. The stunning coast at Cruzinha da Garca, Santo Antao, Cape Verde. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Finding the ships Intelligence officials here and in agencies such as MAOC-N in Portugal have used a number of methods to identify ships that are suspicious. This includes the traditional intelligence gathered from human sources, known as HUMINT, not just here in Ireland but also abroad. Analysts are also used to examine changes in ownership and the movements of ships. They also marry open source intelligence with criminal activity assessments gathered from European and US-based agencies to identify ships coming from South America to Europe that may be carrying drugs. Analysts also try to establish which ships are owned by legitimate companies and those that are owned by shell or front companies that are in effect fake entities set up by organised crime gangs. These shipping fronts can have multiple different entities controlling them, and analysts have to check back through other companies to find the actual owners. In some cases, sources said, there are distinct connections between the renaming of a vessel and companies that have been sanctioned. These companies or individual ships have been identified as being involved with the so-called Shadow Fleet. The Shadow Fleet is about 500 ships worldwide involved in smuggling of oil and gas from Russia. The Journal has confirmed that the Irish Naval Service is monitoring these ships travelling up the west coast of Ireland on a regular basis. Sources have said that while the ships involved in the smuggling are not specifically classified as Shadow Fleet, they are mimicking the methods used by the Russian smugglers to ferry drugs. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Filipino Times
12-07-2025
- Filipino Times
Filipino Seafarer jailed in Ireland for role in €157-M cocaine smuggling case
A Filipino seafarer has been sentenced to 18 years in prison in Ireland for his role in the attempted smuggling of 2.2 tonnes of cocaine valued at more than €157 million. Harold Estoesta was among eight men convicted in connection with the drug trafficking operation involving the Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel MV Matthew, which was intercepted off the Irish coast in September 2023. Authorities said it was the largest cocaine seizure in Irish history. According to Irish officials, the vessel departed from Curaçao, off the coast of Venezuela, and crossed the Atlantic before entering Irish territorial waters. The interception was carried out through a coordinated operation involving the Irish police (Gardaí), customs, and the Defence Forces. An elite unit from the Army Ranger Wing boarded the ship in rough sea conditions after the Irish Navy pursued the vessel as it attempted to evade capture. Dutch national Cumali Ozgen received the longest sentence of 20 years. Other individuals convicted included two Ukrainian and two Iranian nationals, with sentences ranging from 13.5 to 17.5 years. Two other men, initially rescued from a separate trawler believed to be preparing to rendezvous with the MV Matthew, were also sentenced in connection with the case. The court said the operation was linked to a transnational drug cartel with significant resources and global reach. Authorities added that the cartel operated using a cell structure designed to continue operations even if one part was disrupted.
Sunday World
05-07-2025
- Sunday World
Video showing how gardai tracked €115m cocaine shipment on MV Matthew is released
Gardai have released a video showing how they tracked a €115 million shipment of cocaine on the MV Matthew. The clip also details a series of messages send by an organised crime gang in Dubai directed the crew of the vessel. On Friday, eight men were jailed by the Special Criminal Court for their roles the record haul for a combined 129 years. The longest sentence imposed was against Dutch national Cumali Ozgen (50), who received a 20-year sentence. Ms Justice Greally said Ozgen had the closest connection to the Dubai-based criminal organisation that planned and funded the operation and that stood to gain from its success. Ozgen, along with Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk (32) and Vitaliy Vlasoi (33); Iranians Soheil Jelveh (52) and Saeid Hassani (39) and Filipino Harold Estoesta (31); previously pleaded guilty that between September 24 and 26 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 21 and 25, 2023, at a location within the State, they attempted to possess cocaine for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying to another.
BreakingNews.ie
04-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
MV Matthew crew were 'valuable components' on behalf of crime group with 'apparently unlimited resources'
The six men caught on board the bulk carrier MV Matthew with 2.2 tonnes of cocaine and two others who attempted to take the illicit load on board a second vessel in the Irish Sea have been jailed for a combined 129 years. Passing sentence at the Special Criminal Court on Friday, Ms Justice Melanie Greally described the ship's experienced and highly expert crew as "valuable components of the engine that drives international drug smuggling". Advertisement The defendants, who hail from Iran, Ukraine, Philippines and the UK, were "committed to and invested in" the criminal enterprise on behalf of an organised crime group with "apparently unlimited resources", the judge said. Having set headline sentences ranging from 30 years to 22 years, the three-judge court reduced each sentence after considering mitigating factors. The longest sentence imposed was against Dutch national Cumali Ozgen (50), who received a 20-year sentence. Ms Justice Greally said Ozgen had the closest connection to the Dubai-based criminal organisation that planned and funded the operation and that stood to gain from its success. Advertisement Ozgen, along with Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk (32) and Vitaliy Vlasoi (33); Iranians Soheil Jelveh (52) and Saeid Hassani (39) and Filipino Harold Estoesta (31); 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, they attempted to possess cocaine for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying to another. Ms Justice Greally on Friday 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. Advertisement 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 before being loaded with 2.2 tonnes of cocaine. 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. Advertisement As the MV Matthew tried to evade capture, members of the Irish Army Rangers were lowered by rope ladder from a helicopter onto the ship's deck. The crew had tried to set the drugs on fire but the rangers acted quickly to quench the flames and save the drugs as evidence. One of the rangers, a former member of the Navy, steered the vessel to Cork Harbour. In sentencing, Ms Justice Greally said a significant aggravating factor was that the operation was on behalf of a criminal organisation with international reach and "apparently unlimited resources to invest in transnational drug-trafficking". She said each defendant's culpability was based on the "vast quantity" and value of the drugs, the meticulous planning of the operation and the group's technical sophistication. Advertisement Cocaine is a "highly addictive drug which is causing widespread societal harm and dysfunction," she said. While none of the convicted men belong to the "upper echelons" of the criminal organisation and they did not own the drugs or stand to profit from their sale, Ms Justice Greally said they played an important role in the operation. Apart from Ozgen and Harbron, they possessed a "high level of seafaring and navigational expertise," which is vital to such operations, she said. "Seafarers are not cogs but valuable components of the engine that drives international drug smuggling," she said. Each had proven competence at sea and obtained a high level of trust in the organisation. They were "committed to and invested in the success of the venture," she said. Ms Justice Greally noted that Ozgen and the officers on board the MV Matthew had given varying accounts of when and how they came to know of the illicit nature of the ship's cargo. However, Ms Justice Greally said a failure to understand the purpose of the voyage would require a level of "wilful ignorance" that is "tantamount to knowledge". She pointed out that the MV Matthew is a large bulk carrier which left Venezuela for Gdansk in Poland with no cargo. While at sea, the ordinary seamen were plied with alcohol before armed men on board a second vessel lifted the drugs onto the MV Matthew by crane. She said there was also evidence from a group chat being used by the officers that each of them knew that the MV Matthew was using "spoofing" software to misrepresent its location as it crossed the Atlantic. Ozgen, the judge said, was the crew member most closely connected to the criminal organisation in Dubai and was to be paid a significant sum for his role. He had specific knowledge of the drugs and was on board to ensure the job was successful, the judge said. He provided progress reports to Dubai every couple of days and occupied the captain's cabin so he could supervise and monitor what the other officers were doing. "The evidence supports that he was a malign and intimidatory presence on the ship," she said. Hassani and Lapa, she said, were in debt and were motivated by the financial pressure they were under and their family circumstances. Harbron, a drug addict, was primarily looking to reduce his drug debt, the judge said. Jelveh, who was the captain of the vessel, contacted the Irish Coast Guard after two failed rendezvous with the Castlemore and asked to be airlifted away for medical reasons. He therefore left the MV Matthew before the operation's failure was certain, Judge Greally said, and had no role in later attempts by the crew to defy the orders of the Irish Navy and customs officers or to prevent the Irish Army Rangers from making their landing. Estoesta, the judge said, demonstrated a level of commitment to the criminal organisation that was "unmatched by any other officer". When presented with a choice between obeying the Irish authorities or the criminal organisation, he chose to try to evade justice and escape Irish waters, hoping to get to Sierra Leone in west Africa. When a helicopter attempted to lower the rangers to the ship by rope ladder, Vlasoi was steering the ship. Ms Justice Greally said Vlasoi manoeuvred the ship to frustrate their landing, exposing them to danger and creating a further aggravating factor. Ms Justice Greally set headline sentences for each accused, ranging from 30 years for Ozgen, the most culpable, to 22 years for Harbron who was deemed least culpable. Before finalising the sentence, Ms Justice Greally said the court took into account that each defendant pleaded guilty and that all, except Harbron, have no previous convictions. She further considered their family situations and the difficulties they will face in a foreign prison, far away from home. Within the prison system, each defendant has enhanced status for good behaviour. Ms Justice Greally backdated each sentence to when they went into custody following their arrests in September 2023. Ms Justice Greally concluded by saying that she had observed the "professionalism and competence" of the joint task force involving gardai, customs and revenue officers, the navy and the Irish army. They had succeeded in preventing the ship from escaping Irish waters and from evading justice. The skill of the army rangers, she said, was critical to the operation's success. She further commended the investigation team and lawyers for the clarity of the evidence presented in court which, she said, "without doubt led to the guilty pleas being entered". Outside court, Detective Superintendent Joe O'Reilly said this remains the largest seizure of controlled drugs in the history of the State. Ireland Woman (42) jailed for acting as get-away driver fo... Read More He added: "The sentences imposed today provide a clear message to persons involved in international drug trafficking that Ireland is not a soft target for transnational organised criminal networks. "This and other drugs interdictions over recent years clearly demonstrate that all agencies of the State, supported by our international partners, will work together to successfully disrupt and dismantle criminal networks engaged in drug trafficking, thereby reducing harm to our communities. "To those involved in drug trafficking, the message is clear: The full force of the Irish State, supported by our international partners, is against you. The reality facing you is security interdictions, special investigations, the Special Criminal Court, lengthy sentences and asset seizure. "Transnational organised crime gangs cause misery to communities not only in Ireland but throughout the world. Tackling these gangs not only makes Ireland safer but all the other countries that they operate in."
South Wales Argus
04-07-2025
- South Wales Argus
Eight men jailed for involvement in Ireland's largest drugs haul
Six of the ship's crew and two others received sentences varying in length from 13 and a half years to 20 years in prison for their involvement, totalling 129 years in prison. The authorities said the prosecutions prove Ireland is not 'a soft target' for drug smuggling. More than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine worth about 157 million euro (£132 million) was found aboard the MV Matthew, after the ship was stormed by Irish troops in September 2023. The drugs were seized after the Irish Army Ranger Wing boarded the vessel from helicopters in a daring operation conducted while the crew attempted to steer the ship to high seas. Eight men admitted their roles in trying to smuggle cocaine as part of a massive drug trafficking operation. Military personnel on board the MV Matthew (Niall Carson/PA) Six of the men arrested on board the MV Matthew pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply between September 24 and 26 2023. Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, 49, who the court heard occupied quarters on the ship ordinarily reserved for senior officers, and who had a 'supervisory' role, received a sentence of 20 years. The second officer, Harold Estoesta, 31, a Filipino national, received a sentence of 18 years. The court heard that despite strong character references, Estoesta defied navy and customs instructions in a way 'unmatched by any other officer'. The captain of the vessel, Iranian Soheil Jelveh, 51 a married father of two, and who was not on board when the ship was intercepted, received 17 and a half years in prison. Ukrainian national Vitaliy Vlasoi, 33, received a 16-and-a-half-year sentence and Mykhailo Gavryk, 32, received 14 years. Saeid Hassani, 40, who was the third officer, received a 15-year sentence. Two other men, who were on the boat the Castlemore, which had been bought in Castletownbere to collect drugs from the main vessel, were also sentenced for attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply. Superintendent Liam Geraghty (left) and Shane Conway (right), Revenue Customs Service, listen as Detective Superintendent Joe O'Reilly from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau speaks outside the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA) Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa, 62, with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk, received a sentence of 14 and a half years. Jamie Harbron, 31, of South Avenue, Billingham, Co Durham, in the UK, received a sentence of 13 and a half years in prison. Ms Justice Melanie Greally said that among the mitigating factors taken into account for sentencing were the men's families, health conditions, character references from family and schools, and the challenges of serving time in prison away from home, making visits unlikely because of visas and cost. The judge said that while the men 'do not belong to the upper echelons' of the organised crime gang, and did not stand to profit from the sale of the drugs, the 'vast quantity' of drugs and the potential harm of the 'highly addictive' drug were taken into account as aggravating factors. She said that apart from Harbron and Ozgen, each man possessed 'a high level of sea navigation skills', and that the transportation of large quantities of drugs at sea cannot take place without that knowledge. 'Seafarers are not cogs, but valuable components of the engine,' which allow drugs to be smuggled across international waters, she said. She added that the court viewed the defendants, to various degrees, as 'committed to the success of the venture'. The non-jury court heard how the MV Matthew was registered in Panama in August 2023 and was owned by a Dubai-based company. It left Venezuela in September, giving its destination as Gdansk in Poland. The two tonnes of cocaine are believed to have been loaded on board the MV Matthew at sea off the coast of Venezuela on September 5, while the crew were 'deliberately' distracted. Although it was a 190-metre cargo ship for transporting bulk products such as grain, the court heard that the drugs cargo on board was akin to 'a few matchboxes in a car boot'. The MV Matthew and the Castlemore were to meet three times near Ireland in late September as part of the drug-smuggling operation. A group chat was used to co-ordinate the meet-up and to receive instructions from Dubai. But because of issues with the swell, as well as the smaller vessel's struggle with slow speed and WiFi, it missed all three rendezvous and ran aground in Co Wexford. The ship's captain, Jelveh, who had expressed his unhappiness with the weather conditions, had fallen into disagreement with the contacts ashore. He was winched off the ship into a lifeboat and taken to Waterford hospital, and then taken into Garda custody on September 26. Military personnel on board the MV Matthew (Niall Carson/PA) As the MV Matthew was travelling up the Irish Sea, it drew the attention of Irish Coast Guard. The ship's crew initially said it had changed course to Belfast, and then attempted to drop anchor as it needed to carry out engine repairs over two days, which the court said was 'evidently a ruse to buy time'. In the early hours of September 26, customs told the MV Matthew to return to Cork harbour. Estoesta, who was in charge of communication, gave the 'appearance of compliance', the court said, but began travelling towards international waters. The naval ship the LE William Butler Yeats, which had been in monitoring mode, switched to a warship and issued warning shots from a rifle and then a machine gun. Estoesta radioed to the Irish naval ship and said 'we are a commercial vessel, we have families' and that they do not like problems. 'I don't like problems either. I want you to comply with our instructions and alter your course,' the commander of the Irish naval vessel said. 'Please advise are you in hot pursuit of us?' Estoesta asked, and he was told they were. The crew were advised by the Dubai group chat that they would find safe harbour in Sierra Leone and to 'be confident' because 'there is a law preventing them from boarding the ship'. They were also told by the group to 'prepare' to burn the drugs and dispose of their phones. The Army Ranger Wing arrived by helicopter and chose the fifth cargo bay to land, which was located at front of the vessel. Attempts were made by the crew to 'frustrate' the landing of the soldiers on the boat from ropes dangling from helicopters, and to 'facilitate the destruction' of items on board. The court said the rope was suspended 'some distance' from the landing area as Rangers descended, and therefore posed a risk to the Rangers, with 'no small amount of courage' needed to execute the manoeuvre. Smoke coming from a lifeboat on the MV Matthew was seen by the Rangers as they descended and because of their 'quick thinking', the fire was extinguished and the drugs were only partially burned. They swiftly gained control of the ship without incident and put it on course for Cork. Detective Superintendent Joe O'Reilly from An Garda Siochana, said the sentences provide a 'clear message' that Ireland is 'not a soft target' for international organised crime networks. 'To those involved in drug trafficking, the message is clear that the full force of the Irish state, supported by our international partners, is against you,' he told reporters outside the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin. 'The reality facing you is security interdictions, special investigations, the Special Criminal Court, lengthy sentences and asset seizure. 'Transnational organised crime gangs cause misery to communities, not only in Ireland but throughout the world. 'Tackling these gangs not only makes Ireland safer but all the other countries that they operate in as well.' Detective Superintendent Joe O'Reilly noted the work of the joint task force, which includes An Garda Siochana, the Revenue Customs Service and the Naval Service, supported by other arms of the Irish Defence Forces including the Army Ranger Wing and Air Corps.
