Shipment of 'pure cocaine' to Limerick has street value of €105 million, court told

David Raleigh

A €21 million shipment of “pure cocaine” which sailed into Foynes Port, Co Limerick, concealed under cabin beds on board a cargo ship, has and estimated street value of €105 million, a court heard today.

The 12 bales, containing 308.6 kilos of cocaine wrapped into 306 separate packages, were discovered on board the Maltese registered cargo vessel, MV Verila, when it docked at Foynes Port on December 19th, 2023.

Bulgarian native, Kamen Petkov, (36), who was one of 18 crew members on board the ship, appeared before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court for sentence, Monday, on signed guilty pleas to charges of importing cocaine, possessing cocaine for sale or supply and simple possession of cocaine.

Detective Garda Adrian Cahill, Limerick Garda Drugs Unit, gave evidence that the €21 million drugs haul contained “pure cocaine” with “a potential value of five times that amount on the street”.

Petkov was approached by security at Antonina Port, Brazil, and asked to load and manage the very large cocaine consignment onto the ship, prior to the voyage to Ireland, the court heard.

The arrived father of one hid the bales under beds in unoccupied cabins on the ship.

The vessel travelled from Brazil to Canada and onto Foynes docking there on December 19th, last year.

Petkov had been instructed to throw the cocaine bales off the ship and into the Shannon Estuary, at Glin, Co Limerick, prior to the ship docking at Foynes.

During the sailing, Petkov prepared the bales for buoyancy by tying them together and attaching “life-jackets” to them along with a “sophisticated” light beacon transmitter that would be tracked by others involved, D Garda Cahill said.

When the ship reached the drop off point at Hamilton Tower, Glin, Petkov became suspicious and nervous when it appeared nobody was waiting to collect the drugs, and so he hid the bales in an air condition room on board the ship.

Detective Garda Cahill said that following his arrest, Petkov admitted to being the “organiser” of the entire operation while on board the ship.

“He was involved in the loading of the drugs, he was in full control of the drugs on the ship, he was the point of contact for others and he was fully in charge of directing the operation on board,” D Garda Cahill said.

Petkov told Gardaí that he was to be paid €150,000 for taking the cocaine from Brazil to Ireland.

Lily Buckley, prosecuting barrister, instructed by State Solicitor, Brendan Gill, said that after the MV Verila had landed in Foynes, Irish customs officers “acting on confidential information” boarded the vessel with specially-trained sniffer canines, and the dogs found the cocaine hidden in an air-conditioning room on board the ship.

When Gardaí examined Petkov’s mobile phone they discovered maps and GPS coordinates showing the drop-off point at Glin “an area with calm water, it was strategically picked,” added D Garda Cahill.

Gardaí also discovered that Petkov had been communicating about the drugs run with telephone numbers based in Bolivia and Paraguay.

Petkov’s DNA was matched to a transmitter he had fitted with a battery and attached to he cocaine bales, Garda Cahill added.

Petkov, a qualified electrician, is married with one child, and worked five months at a time on cargo ships.

Petkov told gardaí he had never being involved with drugs before and that Brazilian port security staff had asked him to “turn a blind eye” to the cocaine shipment, Ms Buckley saiid.

Ms Buckley said Petkov told gardaí he hadn’t known how he was to be paid, “and he said he was sorry he didn't ask for half the payment, up-front”.

Petkov’s barrister, senior counsel Mark Nicholas, instructed by solicitor Julianne Kiely, said there was “no proof whatsoever” that Petkov received any payment for the international drugs run.

Mr Nicholas said Petkov had a “gambling addiction” and had various “debts” amassed, including €15,000 for jewellery he bought from a pawn broker in Bulgaria.

Mr Nicholas said Petkov, who has been in custody on remand since last December, has no previous convictions, and that his full admissions were “helpful” to gardaí.

Gardaí acknowledged that Petkov may have been targeted by others who might have known about his gambling addiction which would have made him vulnerable.

Judge Colin Daly remanded Petkov in custody for sentencing tomorrow, Tuesday.