Cocaine cargo ship seized off Cork coast is linked to drugs hauls in France and Spain

Spanish and French authorities seized 3,400 kilos of cocaine from smaller vessels that were likely stocked from the MV Matthew

The cargo ship MV Matthew had 2.25 tonnes of cocaine when seized off the Cork coast. Picture: Dan Linehan

European and British intelligence agencies believe the cocaine ‘mother ship’ seized off the Cork coast may have unloaded massive consignments of drugs that were recently seized by French and Spanish authorities. 

Military intelligence sources have told the Irish Examiner  that the Panamanian-registered cargo ship MV Matthew, which was boarded and seized by Ireland’s army ranger wing on Tuesday, was a likely supplier of cocaine to smaller vessels that were seized by international security forces earlier this month.