Cocaine ship costing the State €100,000 per week to maintain, court told

Eoin Reynolds

Lawyers for the State are preparing to put an end to the €100,000 per-week cost of maintaining the cargo ship that was stormed by the Army Rangers, resulting in one of the largest drugs hauls in Irish history.

John Berry SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, on Monday told the Special Criminal Court that the State will apply next month for a declaration that the ongoing preservation of the MV Matthew is no longer required.

To date, Mr Berry said, the State has preserved the vessel to ensure the fair trial rights of eight men accused of offences relating to the drug seizure.

Mr Berry said each legal team has been told that they can visit and inspect the ship and that Revenue agents will continue to make it available over the coming four weeks. He said the State does not wish to continue to incur the €100,000 per week maintenance cost beyond that.

The MV Matthew was boarded in a dramatic operation by the Rangers, a specialist wing of the Irish Defence Forces, in September 2023.

Working with customs agents, they seized 2.2 tonnes of cocaine, worth an estimated €157 million. Mr Berry said the ship was formally forfeited to the State on November 19th, 2023.

Lawyers for each defendant indicated that they had either previously inspected the ship or would do so if necessary before the deadline.

Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo, presiding in the three-judge court, adjourned the matter to November 4th.

Mr Berry further informed the court that the trial of the eight accused relating to the drugs' seizure is expected to take four months and is expected to begin in January. It had previously been listed for just four weeks but Mr Berry said the new estimate is more realistic.

The eight accused viewed Monday's brief hearing via video-link from prison.