Four men have pleaded guilty to possessing over two tonnes of cocaine in one of the largest drug seizures in Irish history. The 2.25 tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of €157 million, was seized from a Panamanian-registered cargo ship in September 2023. The four men, who appeared before the Special Criminal Court, will be sentenced in February.
Four men have pleaded guilty before the Special Criminal Court to possessing 2.2 tonnes of cocaine for supply on board a Panamanian cargo ship, marking the largest such seizure in Irish history. The four were initially scheduled for trial after a failed attempt earlier this week to have the charges dismissed.
The defendants - Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both aged 32, Iranian Soheil Jelveh, aged 51, and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, aged 49 - appeared before the three-judge court. Each man pleaded guilty to one of three charges against them. The charges state that between September 24 and 26, 2023, at locations outside Ireland, on board the vessel 'MV Matthew', a Panamanian-registered ship, they possessed controlled drugs, namely cocaine, for the purpose of selling or supplying to another, in contravention of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations, 2017 to 2023. At the time of possession, the estimated market value of the controlled drug was €13,000 or more. The 2.25 tonnes of cocaine seized from the MV Matthew, a bulk carrier registered in Panama, has an estimated street value exceeding €157 million. The dramatic operation to board the ship was conducted by the Army Rangers, a specialized unit of the Irish Defence Forces, in September 2023. The four men had applied to the non-jury Special Criminal Court on January 13 to have the charges against them dismissed. Sean Guerin SC, representing the State, confirmed today that the four guilty pleas were acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on a full facts basis. Ms Justice Melanie Greally, presiding, alongside Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone, remanded the four defendants in custody until February 24, when their cases are scheduled for mention to set a sentencing date for the next term. Two other defendants, Iranian Saeid Hassani, aged 39, and Filipino Harold Estoesta, aged 31, will stand trial on Monday before the Special Criminal Court in relation to the cocaine seizure. Defence counsel for Mr. Hassani and Mr. Estoesta stated that their trials are proceeding. Ms Justice Greally listed their trials for Monday morning before the Special Criminal Court, remanding the two men in custody until then. A seventh man, Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa (62), with an address in Berdyansk, had previously pleaded guilty to one of the two charges against him. Lapa admitted that between September 21 and 25, 2023, within Ireland, he attempted to possess cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply. The other charge against Lapa alleged that between July 15 and September 23, 2023, within Ireland, he participated in or contributed to the activities of a criminal organization with the intention of facilitating the commission of a serious offence. Unlike the others, Lapa did not apply under the Criminal Procedure Act to have his case dismissed. UK national Jamie Harbron has also pleaded guilty to an offence related to the seizure. He is scheduled to appear before the court later this year for a sentencing hearing. Harbron (31) of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK pleaded guilty that between September 21 and September 25, 2023, he attempted to possess cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply, an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
DRUGS IRELAND COBAL MINE COURT SENTENCE SEIZURE
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