Four men in court as €31m West Cork cocaine seizure confirmed by forensic tests

Four men remain in custody after forensic tests confirmed the €31m Courtmacsherry drugs haul was cocaine, the district court heard

Christopher Hibbett, Mark Doherty, Ben Sandford, and Levent Gulay. Pictures: Dan Linehan

The prosecution of four men for the alleged smuggling of €31m worth of cocaine has progressed, with confirmation the drugs seized were cocaine, the district court has heard.

Detective Garda Gavin Curran told Clonakilty District Court the investigation team had received a certificate of analysis from Forensic Science Ireland confirming the 440kg of drugs seized in an operation in Courtmacsherry, West Cork, on July 1 was cocaine.

Sergeant Tom Mulcahy said it was anticipated the file being prepared to prosecute the case would be completed “by the end of the week”, at which point it would be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The four accused men, Mark Doherty, 40, of Waterfoot Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland; Levent Gulay, 31, of Schwabenstraße, Neu Ulm, Bavaria, Germany; Christopher Hibbett, 44, of Lower Park, Trissillian, Truro, Cornwall, England; and Ben Sandford, 39 of Woodgreen, Drumm Road, Keith, Moray, Scotland, all appeared before Judge Joanne Carroll by video link from Cork Prison.

The four accused each face two charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977, possession of cocaine under Section 3 and possession of cocaine for sale or supply under Section 15.

Mark Doherty and Levent Gulay were arrested on Tuesday, July 1, when gardaí from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stopped a van in the Courtmacsherry area and cocaine valued in excess of €31m was seized by Revenue Customs Service.

Ben Sandford and Christopher Hibbett were arrested on a rigid inflatable boat that departed Courtmacsherry on July 1 and was intercepted by two Naval Service RIBs dispatched from the LÉ William Butler Yeats off the coast of Waterford.

Solicitor for Ben Sandford Plunkett Taaffe told the court his client was indicating the intention to enter a signed guilty plea in relation to the charges. 

Judge Carroll remanded all four in custody to appear again on October 7. The judge said it was hoped directions from the DPP on how the case would proceed would be received by November.

This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme