A huge bust of drugs reveals cocaine battles “Superhighway”

The text message came from Dubai with Santa’s emoji. “Okay guys. No need for luck. Really can’t be more. Just relax and all this will end soon.”

He was sent to a fisherman from Ukraine and an unemployed man from Teeid, who sail to the middle of the Irish Sea to collect cocaine from a passing cargo ship, MV Matthew.

As it turned out, they needed a lot of luck and it was very small.

The two men were part of the bold attempt to move more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine in the UK and Europe. He ended with a failure, with a successful strike against powerful drug cartels by Irish authorities.

Eight men were sentenced and closed for a total of 129 years. The whole cocaine was destroyed.

But despite this result, law enforcement agencies across Europe admit that they are struggling to stop the growing amount of cocaine crossing the Atlantic from South America.

The Marine Analysis Center (MAOC), which polishes transatlantic drug trafficking, says 100 ships suspected of trafficking in Europe were not stopped last year as the authorities did not have enough ships to capture them.

“We have the intelligence of the ship that crosses the Atlantic … that it is loaded at the time and yet we do not have available assets to intercept,” says its director, Sjoerd Top, before Panorama.

Up to 600 ships are monitored by MAOC every day, while in South America, record quantities of cocaine are produced, he adds.

The UK users consumed 117 tonnes of cocaine last year, the National Crime Agency reported. The number of cocaine -related deaths has increased ten times since 2011.

The drug is usually delivered in large container ships to European ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp. But security has tightened there, so smugglers are looking for alternative routes.

Many now use methods to drop AT-Sea, unload Bali Cocaine from the Mother Ship, which will be taken from a smaller craft of the “daughter” and taken ashore.

“We have captured tons of cocaine only in the last six months, many one, two tons of seizures through this method at sea,” we are told by Charlie Eastau, director of the British maritime power of the United Kingdom.

But the cartels are relentless and are increasingly targeting Ireland, the only European country with an open border with the United Kingdom – as a back door.

Ireland has almost 2000 miles of coastline, much of it is ideal for smuggling, with many hundreds of isolated entrances.

And this coastline is vulnerable. The country’s defense forces help to fight the cartels. Ireland has the lowest defense costs in the EU, only 0.2 % of GDP. The Irish naval service has eight ships, but can usually only put two to the sea because of a shortage of sailors.

“We have 132,000 square miles of water below our jurisdiction. EU responsibility for 16% of European waters … two ships. It doesn’t make sense,” says former Navy Eugene Ryan.

It’s the same with air support. Irish defense forces are supposed to provide helicopters to help protect the coastline. But Panorama has been told that sometimes they have no one available that can do the job.

“The drug superhiye comes right through the Atlantic and one of the first countries it reaches is Ireland. Our territorial waters are really free for everyone, it’s like the Wild West there,” says Catal Berry, a former army commandant.

The Irish government says it maintains “continuous presence and vigilance” in its maritime region. It says that defense funding will increase by € 600 million (€ 520 million) – an increase of 55% over four years – and “significant initiatives … also led to stabilization of the power of naval services.”

While MV Matthew’s record seizure was successful in the Irish country, it also showed the potential weaknesses in the protection of the country.

A group of cartels considered by law enforcement agencies to be led by the notorious organized criminal group Kinahan bought the cargo ship for about £ 10 million in August 2023.

In mid -September, three men were sent to buy a trawler called Castlemore in the Castltownber fishing harbor, in southwestern Ireland.

They were Ukrainian Vitaly Paw, Jamie Harbron of a hundred-tide-on-a-way man who arrived from Dubai-which police called a man of interest.

Police were watching the Scotsman led a payment of 300,000 euros (260,000 pounds) from a construction company in Dubai. Panorama has defined him as Voice, Stefan Boyd – although it is not known whether he plays a wider role.

Boyd flew back to Dubai First Class, where it is thought to remain. Panorama failed to contact him for comment.

Paw and Habron – who were later sentenced – they led the Castolemor to the sea on Friday, September 22, without knowing that the police had installed a tracker on the ship.

Later, police have received messages showing that the crew receives instructions from Dubai.

The Irish authorities followed MV Matthew and Castlemore in the next two days when the two ships tried but failed to present themselves in the Irish Sea during storms. The trawler had engine problems and interrupted power periodically.

As the weather worsened, the Iranian captain of MV Matthew, Soheil Jelveh, wanted to head north, but his bosses in Dubai warned him to avoid the waters of the United Kingdom. “Irish coast guards have only VHF, the British coast markets also have boats,” they said.

At that time, the Irish Navy had only one ship in the sea, WB Yeats. In fact, he was already following the smugglers and expected an order to intervene.

On Sunday night, the castlemor came across a sand bank in the storm, and trawler traffickers had to call the Irish Coast Guard to save them. They were subjected to a helicopter safety.

On MV Matthew, panic had occurred. Less than 24 hours later, the captain falsely claims to be injured and needs emergency treatment. He was also an airplane of coastal security, which was not aware of the Navy operation.

The hospital was found that Yelwe had over $ 50,000 (37,982 British pounds) in his bag. He was arrested after jumping from a bed and trying to make a dash from the hospital’s doors.

Meanwhile, Filipino man Harold Estaesta took over as a captain and tried to avoid the Navy.

Voice messages and texts tell the story of the next few hours.

Chief in Dubai, calling himself Captain Noah, told the crew to hold his nerve.

“The level of stress is close to a heart attack. Try to be calm, be calm. The full speed is going,” he said in a voice message.

But the Navy ordered MV Matthew to redirect to cork – he eventually launched warning shots. The first time in the 80s.

A recorded exchange gives an idea of ​​the drama, with the new captain telling the Navy: “We are afraid. We will go because you are shooting at us. Please do not shoot us. My crew is now panic, crying.”

The Navy commander replies: “You don’t have to be afraid. All I want is to get to Cork Harbor.”

The Irish authorities decided to board MV Matthew using the wing of the Irish army Rangers, but there were no suitable helicopters.

Five were in a hanger and waiting for spare parts and served. The only flying helicopter is used as an air ambulance.

“They had to undress all the medical equipment and re-ask it for a military task,” says Catal Berry, a former deputy commander of the Rangers wing. Two machine guns were quickly installed.

The bosses in Dubai still did not think that the Irish military could stop them.

Captain Noah told them in the audio message: “Guys, please listen to me.” So far there is no helicopter for you, no commando, nothing. Ok, be sure. “

The latest messages sent to Captain Noah from MV Matthew were pictures of a helicopter moving over the ship. Seconds later, the Rangers fell on the deck and took over the crew.

Against the odds and despite the shortage of ships and helicopters, the drug bust was a victory for the Irish state.

Since then, four more attempts to move large quantities of cocaine in the UK have been discovered by Irish police. But traffickers are ruthless and have huge resources.

“If I were in a drug now, I would rub my hands together,” says Eugene Ryan, a former fleet commander in the Irish Navy.

“If they send 20 tonnes of cocaine to a number of vessels, and some are caught, they will still receive 12-15 tonnes.”

Drug trafficking is a growing problem across Europe – and those who lead the battle say that every country must do more to stop it.