Packed courtroom as defendants in cocaine haul case await decision on dismissal

Seven men were due to stand trial this week in connection with the 2.25 tonnes of cocaine seized from a Panamanian registered bulk cargo ship, the MV Matthew off the Cork coast in September 2023. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Extra chairs were needed to accommodate the volume of defendants and their various interpreters in connection with the biggest cocaine seizure in the history of the State, in a packed Special Criminal Court on Tuesday.

Seven men were due to stand trial this week in connection with the 2.25 tonnes of cocaine seized from a Panamanian registered bulk cargo ship, the MV Matthew off the Cork coast in September 2023.