Two men deny having 2.2 tonnes of cocaine for supply on board MV Matthew

Both are to be tried at the non-jury Special Criminal Court

The 2.25 tonnes of cocaine that was seized from the MV Matthew, a Panamanian-registered bulk carrier, has an estimated value of more than €157m. File picture: Dan Linehan

Two men have gone on trial at the Special Criminal Court, where they deny having 2.2 tonnes of cocaine for sale or supply on board a Panamanian cargo ship after the largest such seizure in Irish history.

Iranian Saeid Hassani, aged 39, and Filipino Harold Estoesta, aged 31, were arraigned before the Special Criminal Court  on Monday, where they were charged that on September 24, 2023, on board the vessel MV Matthew within the territorial sea of the State, they had in their possession controlled drugs, namely cocaine, for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying the drug to another in contravention of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations, 2017 to 2023, made under section 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977 and at the time while the drug was in their possession the market value of the controlled drug amounted to €13,000 or more.