MV Matthew cleared for disposal after €157m cocaine haul

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The State was cleared to dispose of the MV Matthew after a Special Criminal Court order, reported on 2 December 2024. The ship had been seized off the south coast after 2.2 tonnes of cocaine, estimated at €157 million, were recovered in September 2023.

Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo ordered that the State no longer had to make the vessel available for defence inspection. He stayed the order for two weeks but allowed disposal preparations to begin immediately; no defence team objected, and the matter was due back before the court the following Monday.

The State had maintained the ship for inspection by the defence teams of eight men facing drug haul-related charges. The report said disposal was expected to take more than a month.