Cocaine imported into Limerick port has estimated street value of €105m

Twelve bales containing 308.6kg of cocaine were found on the Maltese-registered cargo vessel, MV Verila, when it docked at Foynes Port on December 19, 2023. Picture Brendan Gleeson

A €21m shipment of “pure cocaine” which sailed into Foynes Port, Co Limerick, concealed under beds on board a cargo ship, has an estimated street value of €105m, a court heard today.

Twelve bales, containing 308.6kg of cocaine wrapped into 306 separate packages, were discovered on board the Maltese-registered cargo vessel, MV Verila, when it docked at Foynes Port on December 19, 2023.

Bulgarian native, 36-year-old Kamen Petkov, who was one of 18 crew members on board the ship, appeared before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court for sentence on Monday on signed guilty pleas to charges of importing cocaine, possessing cocaine for sale or supply, and simple possession of cocaine.

Detective Garda Adrian Cahill, Limerick Garda Drugs Unit, gave evidence that the €21m drugs haul contained “pure cocaine” with “a potential value of five times that amount on the street”.

Petkov was approached at Antonina Port, Brazil, and asked to load and manage the cocaine consignment onto the ship, prior to the voyage to Ireland, the court heard.

He hid the bales under beds in unoccupied cabins on the ship.

The vessel travelled from Brazil to Canada and on to Foynes, docking there on December 19 last year.

Plan to throw bales into Shannon at Glin

Petkov had been instructed to throw the cocaine bales off the ship and into the Shannon Estuary, at Glin, Co Limerick, prior to the ship docking at Foynes.

During the sailing, Petkov prepared the bales for buoyancy by tying them together and attaching “life-jackets” to them along with a “sophisticated” light beacon transmitter that would be tracked by others involved, Det Gda Cahill said.

When the ship reached the drop-off point at Hamilton Tower, Glin, Petkov became nervous when it appeared nobody was waiting to collect the drugs. He hid the bales in an air conditioning room on board the ship.

Det Gda Cahill said that, following his arrest, Petkov admitted to being the “organiser” of the entire operation while on board the ship.  Det Gda Cahill said: 

He was involved in the loading of the drugs, he was in full control of the drugs on the ship, he was the point of contact for others and he was fully in charge of directing the operation on board. 

Petkov told Gardai that he was to be paid €150,000 for taking the cocaine from Brazil to Ireland.

Lily Buckley, prosecuting barrister, said that after the MV Verila had landed in Foynes, Irish customs officers “acting on confidential information” boarded the vessel with specially-trained sniffer canines, and the dogs found the cocaine hidden in an air-conditioning room on board the ship.

When gardaí examined Petkov’s mobile phone they discovered maps and GPS coordinates showing the drop-off point at Glin “an area with calm water, it was strategically picked,” added Det Gda Cahill.

Gardaí also discovered that Petkov had been communicating about the drugs run with telephone numbers based in Bolivia and Paraguay.

Petkov’s DNA was matched to a transmitter he had fitted with a battery and attached to he cocaine bales, Det Gda Cahill added.

Petkov's 'first involvement in drugs'

Petkov, a qualified electrician, is married with one child, and worked five months at a time on cargo ships.

He told gardaí he had never being involved with drugs before and that Brazilian port security staff had asked him to “turn a blind eye” to the cocaine shipment, Ms Buckley said.

Ms Buckley said Petkov told gardaí he hadn’t known how he was to be paid, “and he said he was sorry he didn't ask for half the payment, up-front”.

Petkov’s barrister, senior counsel Mark Nicholas, instructed by solicitor Julianne Kiely, said there was “no proof whatsoever” that Petkov received any payment for the international drugs run.

Mr Nicholas said Petkov had a “gambling addiction” and had various “debts” amassed, including €15,000 for jewellery he bought from a pawnbroker in Bulgaria.

Mr Nicholas said Petkov, who has been in custody on remand since last December, has no previous convictions, and that his full admissions were “helpful” to gardaí.

Gardai acknowledged that Petkov may have been targeted by others who might have known about his gambling addiction which would have made him vulnerable.

Judge Colin Daly remanded Petkov in custody for sentencing tomorrow, Tuesday.