The trial of two Iranians and six others, who tried to smuggle 2.2 tons of cocaine to the island, exposed networks spanning the Middle East and Venezuela.
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.