Five men charged in connection with the biggest drug seizure in Irish history

Five men charged in connection with the biggest drug seizure in the history of the State will be tried at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.

This was confirmed at Mallow District Court this Tuesday, as Garda Inspector Tony O'Sullivan said the Director of Public Prosecutions had instructed that the men go forward for trial on indictment to the Special Criminal Court.

All five men have been charged in relation to the seizure of more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated value of over €157m, that was discovered aboard the MV Matthew off the Cork coast last September.

A new charge was preferred this Tuesday against four of the men - Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, 49, Iranian Saeid Hassani, 38, and Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, 31, and Vitaliy Vlosoi, 31.

All were charged that they had participated in, or contributed to, activity intending to facilitate a serious offence by a criminal organisation on 24 September 2023.

Inspector O'Sullivan said the State's application was to remand all four in custody until Tuesday 14 May and on the other charges until May 21, when the book of evidence is due be ready.

The fifth crew member, 30-year-old Filippino national, Harold Estoesta, is remanded in custody and due to appear again before the district court via video link next Tuesday, May 14.