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Interpol probes international connections to MV Matthew cocaine haul
Interpol probes international connections to MV Matthew cocaine haul

RTÉ News​

time3 days ago

  • RTÉ News​

Interpol probes international connections to MV Matthew cocaine haul

Interpol's director of organised and emerging crime says they have been successful in identifying criminal connections to South America and the Middle East as the investigation into those behind the attempted importation of €157 million worth of cocaine on the MV Matthew, moves internationally. Speaking at a briefing into the background to the seizure of the €157 million worth of cocaine, Dave Cantor said they have been successful in identifying criminal connections to South American as well as to the Middle East. Also speaking at the briefing, Assistant Garda Commission Angela Willis said that their "investigations to date indicate that a number of transglobal organised crime networks would be required for an operation as significant as this". The Joint Task Force behind the biggest seizure of cocaine in the State's history declined to comment on reports that it may have been funded by elements of the Iranian regime and Hezbollah. Ms Willis said the first phase of the operation involved the arrest of the eight people that were sentenced to a total of 129 years in prison yesterday. "The next phase is to look at the peripheral involvement of other people here in Ireland, and abroad, and that phase has now commenced and that will also look at asset recovery off those people". Ms Willis indicated the Kinahan organised crime group forms part of their investigation. "It would be reasonable to assume that they (Kinahans) would be one of a number of organised crime groups that would be involved in something of this nature." The drugs were seized following a joint garda, Revenue, and Defence Forces operation in September 2023 after army rangers forcibly boarded a cargo ship at sea. Six were hired in Dubai by a transnational organised crime group before flying to South America for the international drug trafficking operation. They were arrested on board the MV Matthew, having ignored instructions from the LÉ William Butler Yeats naval vessel five times and tried to burn the drugs on board. Two other men bought a boat, the Castlemore, in Castletownbere to collect the drugs from the mothership, but it ran aground off the coast of Wexford and they had to be rescued by the coastguard. All eight were sentenced to imprisonment yesterday with sentences from 13 and a half years to 20 years.

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