An Irish court on July 4 sentenced two Iranian nationals in connection with a transnational drug trafficking operation involving more than 2.2 tons of cocaine, as authorities investigate suspected links to Hezbollah and the Iranian regime, Irish media reported.

The men—Soheil Jelveh, 51, a former captain of the cargo vessel MV Matthew, and Saied Hassani, 39, a senior officer with significant maritime experience—received sentences of 17.5 and 15 years, respectively, for drug trafficking. They were among eight people sentenced on Friday to a combined 129 years in prison, The Irish Examiner reported.

The Matthew, which departed from Venezuela, was intercepted off the Irish coast in September 2023 in what became the largest cocaine seizure in the history of the Irish state. The cargo was loaded at sea by armed men under the cover of night. Authorities believe Venezuela’s close ideological and financial ties with both Iran and Hezbollah may have played a role in facilitating the shipment, the Examiner reported.

Authorities believe Jelveh and Hassani were working under the direction of a figure known as “Captain Noah”, identified in court as Mehdi Bordbar, an alleged Hezbollah operative based in Dubai. Investigators suspect Bordbar coordinated the operation remotely via encrypted messaging apps. He is believed to be alive and currently in the Middle East, with an international probe underway into his ties to transnational organized crime, according to the report.

The failed smuggling plan also involved a second vessel, the Castlemore, which was purchased in Ireland for more than $351,000 by individuals linked to the network, per the report. The money was transferred from Dubai. The Castlemore was intended to rendezvous with the Matthew to collect the drugs but ran aground off the Wexford coast after its engine failed, triggering the collapse of the operation. Its two crew members were rescued by helicopter and later arrested.

Among the others sentenced was Cumali Ozgen, 49, a Dutch national described in court as the cartel’s “eyes and ears” aboard the Matthew. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The others were three Ukrainians, a Filipino and a British citizen, Jamie Harbron, who received the lightest sentence of the eight: 13.5 years in prison.

At a press conference held at Haulbowline Naval Base, the assistant police commissioner, Angela Willis, said it was “reasonable to assume” some involvement by the Kinahan cartel, a major Irish transnational organized crime syndicate. She described the broader operation as involving “multiple criminal networks,” including transnational entities with links to the Middle East.

Hezbollah handles cocaine shipments and their distribution globally and launders the proceeds through complex commercial schemes, according to a report published last year by Emanuele Ottolenghi of the
Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a U.S.-based think tank.

Hezbollah helps Venezuela’s regime launder money through multiple waypoints, according to the report.

Image - IDF