MV Matthew Cocaine Bust Exposes Cartels’ New Smuggling Routes into UK and Europe
A text message from Dubai, marked with a Santa emoji, promised an easy job. “OK lads. No need for luck. Really this couldn’t be any more straightforward. Just relax and this will all be over soon.” The message was sent to a Ukrainian fisherman and an unemployed man from Teesside as they sailed into the Irish Sea to collect cocaine from the cargo ship MV Matthew. Nothing about the mission was straightforward. Instead of slipping past unnoticed, the pair were swept up in an international operation that foiled one of Europe’s biggest smuggling attempts. The Irish authorities intercepted more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine, struck a blow against the cartels, and jailed eight men for a combined 129 years. Every kilo of the seized cocaine was destroyed. Despite the victory, officials warn the tide of cocaine flooding into Europe is […]