€157m coke boat captain 'feared that he would be killed'

Crew hired in Dubai by transnational crime gang

- BY CATE McCURRY

THE captain of the ship seized with more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine said he feared for his life and his family if he did not follow orders, a court heard yesterday.

Iranian Soheil Jelveh, 51, said there was an element of fear on board the MV Matthew, and admitted he was aware the cargo was not “spare parts”.

The court heard the six men who crewed a Panamanian cargo ship with the largest cocaine seizure in Irish history were hired in Dubai by a transnational organised crime group before flying to South America.

Jelveh said he was captain in name but he had to follow orders.

The non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin was told yesterday he was in fear of being killed and was afraid that his family, who were in Dubai, would also be killed.

Jelveh is one of eight men charged with offences arising from the seizure the drug which had an estimated street value of more than €157 million.

Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both 32, Iranians Jelveh and Saeid Hassani, 39, Filipino Harold Estoesta, 31, and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, 49, all pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply between September 24 and 26, 2023.

Ukrainian Vitaliy Lapa, 62, with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk, admitted attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between September 21 and 25, 2023.