Three men charged in connection with €150m cocaine seizure remanded in custody
Harold Estoesta was told that legal aid would be dealt with next week. Picture: Dan Linehan
Three men charged in connection with the largest cocaine seizure in the history of the State have been remanded in custody in Cork for two weeks.
Harold Estoesta, 30, a Filipino national, Saeid Hassani, a 37-year-old Iranian; and Mykhalio Gavryk, a 30-year-old Ukrainian, appeared via videolink in Mallow District Court.
The men have all been charged with conspiracy to have in their possession, on September 24, cocaine for sale or supply in excess of €13,000 in contravention of Sections 5 and 15a of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977. They appeared before Judge Marian O’Leary via videolink from Cork Prison.
Sergeant Majella O’Sullivan said that the State was applying for a two-week or one-month remand in custody to await Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directions. The two-week remand was consented to by the suspects and their solicitors.
Judge O’Leary remanded all three men to appear before Mallow District Court via videolink on October 24.
Mr Gavryk, aided in court by a Russian interpreter, said that he had questions regarding bail. But bail on the relevant conspiracy charge could not be dealt with at District Court level, the court heard.
Solicitor Cathal Lombard, appearing for Frank Buttimer solicitors, said that Mr Buttimer would be progressing that matter for Mr Gavryk. Mr Gavryk consented to the two-week remand and thanked the court. Mr Lombard, appearing for Frank Buttimer solicitors, applied for legal aid.
Harold Estoesta, 30, a Filipino national, was represented by solicitor Aiden Desmond who was told that legal aid would be dealt with next week.
More than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine was recovered from the Panamanian cargo ship MV Matthew on September 26. The haul has an initial value of €157m but may have a street value of some €500m once it has been cut, or diluted, with cheaper substances.
The 190-metre bulk cargo vessel was moved from where it was docked under armed guard at Marino Point in Cork Harbour to another berth in nearby Passage West on Sunday. The ship’s crew, mostly Filippino nationals, are still living on board the ship, which is longer than Croke Park.
State authorities continue to search the enormous vessel, it is understood.
Another three men have also been charged in relation to the seizure.
The captain of the ship, an Iranian national, Soheil Jelveh, was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine for sale or supply and importing cocaine with a street value of more than €13,000.
A British national, James Harbron, 31, of South Avenue, Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, and Vitaliy Lapa, 60, a Ukrainian national of no fixed abode, were charged with conspiracy to import drugs.
The two men had been airlifted off a fishing trawler early on the morning of September 25 after it ran aground on a sandbank off the Wexford coast. The fishing boat, called the Castlemore, had been bought days previously in Castletownbere, West Cork.
Gardaí believe the fishing trawler was due to meet with the MV Matthew before it ran aground.
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