MV Matthew Leaves Ireland Three Years After Record €157 Million Cocaine Seizure Cost State €16 Million

The MV Matthew, the cargo ship at the centre of Ireland’s largest-ever cocaine seizure, has left Cork Harbour after nearly three years in State custody, ending a detention that cost Irish authorities around €16 million in berthing, maintenance, crewing and security.

The Panama-registered bulk carrier was towed from Marino Point on Friday after its planned departure the previous day was postponed because of a minor technical issue with one of the towing vessels.

Before the operation, the Port of Cork advised mariners to stay clear of the navigation channel and give the tow a wide berth.

The vessel is understood to be heading to Varna, Bulgaria, where it will be refitted before returning to service as a bulk grain carrier on the Black Sea, according to Irish media reports.

The ship became the focus of a major international drug trafficking investigation after Irish authorities seized 2.2 tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of €157 million, from the vessel off the east Cork coast on September 26, 2023.

The operation involved the Irish Naval Service, Air Corps, Army Ranger Wing, Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, and Revenue Customs Service.

Army Ranger Wing personnel first secured the vessel before members of the Irish Navy, Gardaí and Customs officers boarded the ship. The vessel was later detained under the Customs Act 2015.

During the investigation, Gardaí worked with law enforcement agencies in the United Arab Emirates, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Caribbean to examine the vessel’s movements before it was intercepted.

The MV Matthew remained berthed in Cork while it was held as evidence during the criminal case linked to the seizure.

Last year, eight men were sentenced to a combined 129 years in prison over the smuggling operation.

Six crew members, Cumali Ozgen, Soheil Jelveh, Mykhailo Gavryk, Vitaliy Vlasoi, Harold Estoesta and Saeid Hassanin, received prison terms ranging from 14 to 20 years.

Two others, Jamie Harbron and Vitaliy Lapa, who were arrested on a fishing vessel that was due to meet the bulk carrier, were also jailed.

Irish media reported that crew members tried to burn the cocaine in one of the vessel’s lifeboats as Irish authorities pursued the ship before it was boarded.

The vessel’s long stay in Cork later drew political attention because of the cost of keeping it after the criminal proceedings.

According to figures provided by the Revenue Commissioners in response to a parliamentary question, the State spent €3.73 million on berthing, €6.99 million on maintenance and €5.28 million on crew and related costs since the ship was seized.

The total cost reached about €16 million, with the vessel reportedly costing around €120,000 a week to berth and maintain.

The maintenance work included the ship’s engine, electrical and ventilation systems, along with berthing, crewing and security.

Revenue has said the proceeds from the vessel’s sale are expected to recover only a small part of those costs.

Fianna Fáil TD Séamus McGrath, who plans to raise the issue with Tánaiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris, said he had no concerns about the costs while the vessel was being kept as evidence until December 2, 2024. However, he questioned the spending since then, which he estimated at around €10 million.

McGrath said the seizure was a major success for the Defence Forces, Gardaí and Customs, removing more than €150 million worth of cocaine from circulation.

He also said the Government should review whether seized vessels can be disposed of more quickly in future, while acknowledging that Revenue faced legal and regulatory challenges, including the vessel’s Panamanian registration and ownership issues.

Built in 2001, the bulk carrier previously sailed as MV Honmon and spent much of its working life in waters off China.

After changing ownership more than four years ago, it operated between Africa, South America and the Caribbean before being renamed MV Matthew.

Preparations for the vessel’s departure had been underway for several weeks. Four tugs were used to tow the ship out of Cork Harbour.

Although earlier reports suggested the vessel could be scrapped in the Netherlands, Irish media now say it will instead be refurbished in Bulgaria before returning to commercial service for its new owners.

Revenue said it will issue a statement on the vessel’s departure in due course.

References: rte, irishtimes