Messages sent to the MV Matthew as the ship tried to escape Irish waters while carrying cocaine worth an estimated €157 million told a group on board to burn the drug load if a helicopter attempted to intercept, a trial has heard.
Seán Guerin SC, prosecuting, said it is the State’s case that Harold Estoesta (31) was alone on the bridge of the ship as it was being pursued by the Naval Service, putting him in control of its cargo of some 2.25 tonnes of cocaine.
Mr Guerin on Wednesday continued to outline the State’s case against Mr Estoesta and co-accused Saeid Hassani (39) in the Special Criminal Court.
Both men have denied having the cocaine for sale or supply on board the MV Matthew, a Panamanian bulk carrier.
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The ship was boarded in a dramatic operation by the Defence Forces’ Army Ranger Wing in September 2023.
The court previously heard that while the MV Matthew was sailing under the flag of Panama, it was owned by a Dubai-based company known as Symphony Marine.
It departed from Curaçao off the Venezuelan coast and sailed across the Atlantic before arriving in Irish territorial waters.
The prosecution’s case is that the two men were directly involved in the physical possession of the cocaine through their roles as ship’s officers. Mr Guerin said there would be evidence that the men gave direction to others in the preparation for the transfer of the cocaine from the MV Matthew on to a fishing boat named the Castlemore.
The court previously heard that the Castlemore was grounded on a sandbank off Curracloe, Co Wexford on September 24th, 2023.
When it became clear “a rendezvous” between the Castlemore and the MV Matthew would not be possible, those on board the cargo ship and those giving directions on shore attempted to put in place an alternative arrangement for the delivery of the drugs.
Mr Guerin referenced messages sent in a WhatsApp group called “The Deck Officers”, in which he said Mr Estoesta was actively offering ideas and suggestions as to how to advance the drug trafficking operation and how to protect it from the interference of law enforcement officers.
He said a message was sent to inform those on board to be ready to set the cargo on fire, but make a course for Africa at full speed, and if a helicopter attempted to intercept the ship, then the cargo was to be burnt.
He said an audio recording captured Mr Estoesta telling someone to “prepare gasoline” and “make sure everything burns”.
“At this point, he is clearly playing a role in not just concealing this from law enforcement authorities but also playing a leadership role among those on board,” said Mr Guerin.
Gary Delaney, a retired naval officer with 40 years’ experience in land and marine surveying, gave evidence to John Berry SC, for the State, about inspecting the systems used by the MV Matthew to work out its navigation and route.
Mr Delaney said that in August 2023, there was a divergence between where the MV Matthew actually was and where it was broadcasting its position as.
He said that from August 22nd to September 7th, the vessel reported itself as doing a perfect circle off the coast of Guyana, but a navigation system showed it was off the coast of Venezuela.
Mr Delaney said that in the real world, ships do not do perfect circles without dynamic positioning systems, something that the MV Matthew did not have.
The trial, which is expected to last around six weeks, continues on Thursday with Ms Justice Melanie Greally presiding over the three-judge court.
Four co-accused – Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk (32) and Vitaliy Vlasoi (32), Iranian Soheil Jelveh (51), and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen (49) – last week pleaded guilty to offences connected to the seizure.
