In a significant legal development, four men have pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges related to the seizure of 2.25 tonnes of cocaine aboard the MV Matthew, a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier. The vessel was intercepted in September 2023 off the Irish coast in what became the largest drug bust in Ireland’s history. The men, originating from Ukraine, Iran, and the Netherlands, admitted their involvement in the smuggling operation, with sentencing scheduled for later this year. The case remains ongoing, with several other suspects still facing trial.

The MV Matthew was part of an extensive transatlantic drug trafficking network, having made multiple stops in the Caribbean and South America before heading towards Europe. Originally sailing under the name MV Honmon, the ship underwent a name change to MV Matthew in August 2023 while traveling between Aruba and Curaçao, both well-known hubs for drug smuggling due to their strategic location near South America. The ship then departed from Curaçao on August 19, 2023, making a stop in Georgetown, Guyana, where it is suspected that the cocaine was loaded onto the vessel. Initially, the ship’s declared destination was Gdańsk, Poland, but it later altered course, heading for Ireland.

Upon approaching Irish waters, authorities, acting on intelligence, ordered the ship to stop. When the MV Matthew refused, the Irish Naval Service and the elite Army Ranger Wing executed a dramatic boarding operation, firing warning shots before seizing control of the vessel. More than 2.25 tonnes of cocaine, valued at over €157 million, were found hidden aboard the ship. This operation was part of a multi-agency international effort to dismantle transatlantic drug trafficking operations. Eight individuals in total have been charged in connection with the case, with four pleading guilty on February 6, 2025, at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.

Among those who pleaded guilty were Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk (32) and Vitaliy Vlasoi (32), Iranian national Soheil Jelveh (51), and Dutch citizen Cumali Ozgen (49). Two other defendants, Iranian Saeid Hassani (39) and Filipino Harold Estoesta (31), will stand trial in the coming days. Additionally, Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa (62) and UK national Jamie Harbron (31) had previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the smuggling operation. These men now await sentencing for their crimes, with authorities committed to dismantling the wider drug network that facilitated this massive shipment.

The MV Matthew case has drawn international attention, not only for the record-breaking size of the cocaine bust but also for its ties to global drug trafficking routes spanning South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Law enforcement agencies are continuing their investigations to identify and prosecute the masterminds behind this smuggling ring. With drug cartels increasingly using bulk carriers and commercial shipping routes to move narcotics, authorities warn that more collaborative international enforcement efforts will be needed to combat organized crime and prevent future shipments of this scale.