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 when cocaine worth in excess of €157 million was seized by gardaí, Customs officers and the Naval Service off the Cork coast.
Harold Estoesta, a Filipino national, appeared at Midleton District Court on Thursday 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 MV Matthew at Marino Point, Cobh on October 4th 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.”
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Sgt Majella O’Sullivan said the accused wasn’t eligible for bail on the conspiracy charge at District Court level and she was seeking a remand in custody to appear at Mallow District Court by video link on October 10th along with a number of other co-accused.
Judge Colm Roberts, who had earlier been assured that Mr Estoesta had good English and did not require an interpreter, granted the State application and remanded the accused in custody to appear again at Mallow District Court on October 10th by video link.
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Defence solicitor Aidan Desmond said his client understood he was being remanded in custody but had requested assistance from the Philippines Consul and he asked that consular officials be allowed to visit him at Cork Prison. Judge Roberts ordered that any such visit would be facilitated.
Gardaí have already charged seven people in relation to the seizure, with four crew members of the MV Matthew charged in Mallow District Court on Tuesday with conspiring with others to possess over €13,000 worth of cocaine within the State with intent to supply it to others on September 24th.
The captain of the MV Matthew was charged on Monday with three offences all within the State: possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine for sale or supply and importing cocaine with a street value in excess of €13,000, also on September 24th.
Last Friday, two other men airlifted off the trawler, Castlemore, off the Wexford coast were charged at Waterford District Court with conspiracy to import drugs on September 24th. All seven men have been remanded in custody to appear again in court on different dates later this month.
