Judge urges DPP to prioritise case against five men in connection with Ireland’s biggest drugs seizure

The court heard that  the transnational nature of the case and a file of more than 3,000 pages meant that it was a complex matter

The five men are facing charges in relation to the seizure of more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated value of more then €157 million that was discovered aboard the MV Matthew off the County Cork coast in September 2023. File picture: Dan Linehan

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has been urged to prioritise proceedings in the cases of five men currently being held in custody in relation to the biggest ever drugs haul in the history of the Irish State.

The five, Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, 48; Filipino Harold Estoesta, 30; Iranian Saeid Hassani, 37, and Ukrainians Mykhalo Gavryk, 30, and Vitaliy Vlasoi, 31, all appeared via video link from Cork Prison at Mallow District Court.