Gardaí have arrested a 30-year-old man as part of their ongoing investigation into a suspected attempt to smuggle over two tonnes of cocaine with a street value of over €157 million into Ireland.
Detectives arrested the man on board the MV Matthew at Marino Point around 2pm on Wednesday and brought him into Cobh Garda station for questioning about the discovery of 2,253 kgs of cocaine aboard the bulk carrier which was boarded and seized last week by Army Rangers off the Cork coast.
The man, a Filipino national and a member of the ship’s crew, is being held at Cobh Garda station under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardaí to detain suspects for up to seven days before they have to be charged or released without charge.
Gardaí have already charged seven people in relation to the seizure with four crew members of the MV Matthew charged in Mallow District Court on Tuesday with conspiring with others to possess over €13,000 worth of cocaine within the state with intent to supply it to others on September 24th.
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The captain of the MV Matthew was earlier charged on Monday with three offences all within the state – possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine for sale or supply and importing cocaine with a street value in excess of €13,000, also on September 24th, 2023.
Last Friday, two other men airlifted off the fishing vessel, Castlemore off the Wexford coast were charged at Waterford District Court with conspiracy to import drugs on September 24th 2023. All seven men have been remanded in custody to appear again in court on different dates later this month.
