Eight Jailed for Record Irish Cocaine Seizure

Eight men have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 13.5 to 20 years for their roles in Ireland's largest-ever cocaine seizure, involving 2.2 tonnes of cocaine valued at over €157 million. The drugs were discovered aboard the Panamanian-registered MV Matthew, which was intercepted by Irish authorities off the coast in September 2023 after a dramatic military operation. The crew, recruited by a Dubai-based organized crime group, ignored repeated warnings and tried to destroy the drugs as naval forces boarded. The MV Matthew sailed from Curacao across the Atlantic, with the crew using encrypted communications to coordinate with the syndicate. Two additional men were caught attempting to retrieve the cocaine using a separate vessel that ran aground. The sentences reflect the international scale and complexity of the trafficking operation, which involved collaboration between Irish law enforcement, customs, and military forces.