MATTHEW TT

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Woman arrested during investigation

A woman was arrested by Gardaí in Dublin as part of a joint investigation being carried out alongside the PSNI into the seizure of cocaine on the 'Matthew' off the Cork coast. The woman in her thirties can be detained for up to seven days. The seizure of €157m of cocaine on Sep 26 was the largest amount of the drug ever discovered by authorities in Ireland. Gardaí are continuing their investigations into the seizure and carried out a cross border operation involving searches in both the North and the Republic on Dec 5. The woman was detained at a Garda Station in the Dublin Region. Investigating officers carried out searches in Newry and seized a number of items including a vehicle and a several phones. The 'Matthew' remained stationary in Cork as of Dec 6.

Matthew’s trail leads to Kinahan cartel’s UAE ‘hideout’

A flash new website promising to ‘maximise profitability’ for customers was set up in the UAE for the 'Matthew' just weeks before €157 million worth of cocaine was seized from the vessel off the Irish coast. The website – matthewmaritime.com – is being hosted by a firm called Tasjeel.ae who are based in Ras Al Khaimah, a free-trade zone, which is located 45 minutes from Dubai, offers zero taxation and is no stranger to the Kinahan family. In 2016, the boxing firm founded by Daniel Kinahan, MTK Global, re-structured and moved to Ras al-Khaimah from their original base in Marbella, Spain. The company, Matthew Maritime, became owners of the 'Matthew' just weeks before the record cocaine seizure. The company is registered in the Marshall Islands, and according to their website, Matthew Maritime is “committed to delivering exceptional carrier ship management services.” They claim: “Our expert team guarantees seamless vessel operations, strategic voyage planning, and efficient chartering. With an unwavering emphasis on safety, compliance, and personalized cargo handling solutions, we unlock new opportunities and maximize profitability for our valued partners in the maritime industry.” ​Matthew Maritime claims it has carried out 1000 deliveries on 1216 voyages to 100 international ports despite the fact the company itself was only set up in July. The 'Matthew' is also the only ship that Matthew Maritime owns, and it has not made 1216 voyages. The website uses a registration shielding service to mask the name of the person who registered the site. The paper trail which leads from the 'Matthew' to Dubai will again focus the attention of European police forces on the UAE. It comes as the trial of one of the key allies of the Kinahan Cartel – who was also based in Dubai – began in Naples on Oct 6. Dubbed the narco trial of the century in Italy, the court will hear over the next few weeks how drugs boss Raffaele Imperiale controlled a massive money- laundering and cocaine business from the Emirates. It will detail how he played a key role in forming Europe’s super-cartel along with the Kinahan Cartel, Dutch-Moroccan criminals and a Balkan-based mob called, the Dino and Tito Cartel. Imperiale is accused of having imported at least seven tons of cocaine into Europe from 2017 to 2021 from his base in Dubai. As well as the drug shipments, Italian law officials also allege Imperiale played a leading role in operating a transnational money-laundering operation. Judge Maria Luisa Miranda will hear how Imperiale’s group laundered and sent money abroad using the Hawala system. It is claimed that the laundered cash was used to buy gold between Naples and Vicenza, which was then sent onto Holland. According to Italian magistrates, Imperiale laundered enormous of “profits generated by drug trafficking, through a corporate network.” Imperiale is accused of buying shipments of cocaine from the notorious Clan del Golfo which were then hidden inside containers and brought into European seaports. Colombia’s Clan del Golfo are seen as the biggest single distributors of cocaine in the world. They are widely reported to have been the suppliers of the €157 million cocaine haul which was seized from the 'Matthew'. Italian prosecutors are claiming Imperiale forged alliances with key European drug gangs, including the Kinahan Cartel and the Netherlands’ Moroccan mafia, to work together. They have claimed Imperiale’s allies include “South American and European drug traffickers of the highest level: both Colombians from the infamous paramilitary formations known as Clan del Golfo, and Dutch of Moroccan origin who in the meantime established themselves on the scene among the main criminal groups in the control of cocaine trafficking from South America in the ports of Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Antwerp (Belgium), both Irish”. Imperiale has already agreed to give evidence in the case. His right-hand man, Bruno Carbone, has also chosen to become a ‘collaborator of justice’ and give evidence. Carbone had been based in Dubai but fled to Syria after Imperiale was arrested. He tried to strike a deal with a Syrian Islamist group – the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militia – for protection but they double-crossed him and took him hostage. They ultimately decided to hand him over to the Italian authorities. Imperiale’s money man, Corrado Genovese, and accountant, Daniele Ursini, will also be brought before the court. Report with photos: https://www.sundayworld.com/crime/irish-crime/cocaine-ship-mv-matthews-trail-leads-to-kinahan-cartels-uae-hideout/a688201795.html

Eighth accused remanded in custody

A 30-year-old man has been remanded in custody after he became the eighth man to be charged in connection with the largest ever drugs seizure in Ireland aboard the 'Matthew'. Harold Estoesta, a Filipino national, appeared at Midleton District Court on Oct 5, where he was charged with conspiring with four other crew of the MV Matthew to possess more than €13,000 worth of cocaine for supply within the State on September 24th contrary to Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act. Det Garda Redmond O’Leary of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau gave evidence of arresting Mr. Estoesta on board the 'Matthew' at Marino Point, Cobh on Oct 4 for the purpose of the charge and conveying him to Cobh Garda station. Det Garda O’Leary said that Mr. Estoesta replied after caution to the charge: “I believe that I just followed the orders of my seniors. I was also tricked and informed that they were spare parts. I wish to defend myself against accusations. I believe I was innocent and deserved to be free.” The accused wasn’t eligible for bail on the conspiracy charge at District Court level and remained in custody to appear at Mallow District Court by video link on Oct 10 along with a number of other co-accused.