Messages were sent to MV Matthew to burn €157m of cocaine to prevent discovery, trial told

The court heard that at one point, the messages suggested 'engulfing the lifeboat in flames' to burn the cargo of drugs

The MV Matthew was boarded in a dramatic operation by the Army Rangers, a specialist wing of the Irish Defence Forces, in September 2023. Picture: Dan Linehan

Messages sent to the MV Matthew as the ship tried to escape Irish waters while carrying €157m in cocaine told a group on board to set a course for Africa at full speed and to burn the drugs if a helicopter attempted to intercept the vessel, a trial has heard.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Seán Guerin SC, said it is the State's case that Filipino Harold Estoesta, aged 31, was alone on the bridge of the ship as it was being pursued by the Irish navy, putting him in control of its cargo of more than two tonnes of cocaine.