THE Kinahan cartel is among several international crime organisations being probed over the failed attempt to smuggle €157million of cocaine to Europe on board MV Matthew.
The drugs operation, which originated in Venezuela, also involved the Iranian regime and militant group Hezbollah, who helped to finance the massive drugs shipment, along with the Irish mobsters and other transnational crime gangs.
Eight men were jailed on Friday for between 13.5 and 20 years for their part in trying to smuggle the 2.2tonnes — the largest cocaine seizure in Irish history.
The haul was seized following a joint Garda, Customs and Defence Forces op in September 2023, when the Army Rangers boarded the ship from a helicopter and apprehended the crew.
The court heard of the involvement of “a major Iranian nexus” in the funding and logistical planning of the operation, which saw the Panamanian registered cargo ship head for Ireland to unload the massive consignment.
These criminals are believed to have links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, which was led by General Hossein Salami, until he was killed by an Israeli airstrike during last month’s Israel-Iran war.
Two of those jailed on Friday were Iranians that Gardai believe have links to Hezbollah, led by Hassan Nasrallah before his assassination in Lebanon last September.
Today, the Gardai released a YouTube video about the operation and seizure of the ship, containing never-before-seen footage of the vessel.
The man who ran the operation from Dubai, Captain Noah, is heard on the video frantically telling the crew to burn the drugs, which had been loaded onto a life raft.
Speaking today from the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Co Cork, Assistant Garda Commissioner Angela Willis said: “Our investigations indicate a number of transglobal organised crime networks would be required for an operation as significant as this. Multiple entities are being examined.”
Asst Comm Willis said Gardai have also identified Irish-based criminals as part of further investigations following the seizure.
She said: “The next phase of the operation is to look at the peripheral involvement of other people here in Ireland and abroad, and that will also include looking at asset recovery of those people.”
RESILIENT CARTELS
She indicated the Kinahan gang, led by Daniel Kinahan, would form part of the investigation.
Interpol’s Dave Cantor said: “The cartels are resilient and looking for new ways to get their drugs to market. I think it’s changing as the threat of synthetic drugs is on the rise globally.”
He said deadly drugs like Pink Cocaine — a cocktail of synthetic drugs which has led to many deaths in the US — are “popping up in Europe”.
He stressed: “There’s a very strong commitment to fight organised crime.”
Revenue Commissioner Ruth Kennedy said they have a potential buyer for MV Matthew, which is berthed across from the town of Passage.
To watch the full story of the MV Matthew click here.
