Progress made in €31m West Cork cocaine prosecution

The prosecution of four men for the alleged smuggling of €31m worth of cocaine has progressed, with confirmation that the drugs seized were cocaine, the district court has heard.

Detective Garda Gavin Curran told Clonakilty District Court that the investigation team had received a certificate of analysis from Forensic Science Ireland confirming that the 440kg of drugs seized in an operation in Courtmacsherry, West Cork, on July 1 was cocaine.

Sergeant Tom Mulcahy said it was anticipated the file being prepared to prosecute the case would be completed “by the end of the week”, at which point it would be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The four accused men, Mark Doherty, aged 40, of Waterfoot Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland; Levent Gulay, aged 31, of Schwabenstraße, Neu Ulm, Bavaria, Germany; Christopher Hibbett, aged 44, of Lower Park, Trissillian, Truro, Cornwall, England; and Ben Sandford, aged 39 of Woodgreen, Drumm Road, Keith, Moray, Scotland, all appeared before Judge Joanne Carroll by video link from Cork Prison.

Four accused 

The four accused each face two charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 — possession of cocaine under Section 3, and possession of cocaine for sale or supply under Section 15.

Mr Doherty and Mr Gulay were arrested on Tuesday, July 1, when gardaí from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stopped a van in the Courtmacsherry area, and cocaine valued in excess of €31m was seized by Revenue Customs Service.

Mr Sandford and Mr Hibbett were arrested on a rigid inflatable boat that departed Courtmacsherry on July 1 and was intercepted by two naval service RIBs dispatched from the LÉ William Butler Yeats off the coast of Co Waterford.

Solicitor for Mr Sandford, Plunkett Taaffe, told the court his client was indicating the intention to enter a signed guilty plea in relation to the charges.

Judge Carroll remanded all four in custody to appear again on October 7. The judge said it was hoped directions from the DPP on how the case would proceed would be received by November.

• This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme