Case No. 2530Conspiracy to import drugs · Co. Kerry · 11 Jan 2025
Five men remanded in custody at Killarney District Court on conspiracy to import drugs charges
Five men aged 28 to 45, including a Serbian national, two men from Glasgow, a man from Derry and a Filipino seaman, appeared at Killarney District Court on 17 January 2025 charged with conspiracy to import drugs valued at more than €13,000. All five were remanded in custody to appear via video link in Tralee on 22 January 2025.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested16 Jan
3 reports - Charged17 Jan
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports56 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA man aged 28 was arrested on board a cargo vessel on suspicion of facilitating or enhancing a criminal organisation to commit a serious offence (irishmirror.ie)
- whatFour men aged 30, 31, 39 and 45 were previously arrested at Meenogahane, Co. Kerry on 13 January 2025 on the same suspicion (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí are searching for up to €100 million worth of cocaine. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe cocaine was believed to have been landed on the west coast of Ireland by an international drug smuggling gang. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe drugs were dropped from the Maltese-registered bulk carrier MV Royal off the Kerry coast. (irishtimes.com)
- whatOne of those arrested is a 30-year-old fisherman from Derry. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe other three men are in their 30s and 40s, including two men from Scotland and a Serbian national living in Manchester. (irishtimes.com)
- whatAll four men are detained under organised crime legislation allowing up to seven days of detention. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí seized encrypted mobile phones, night vision and satellite navigation equipment from the four men. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA 28-year-old member of the MV Royal's crew was arrested on suspicion of involvement in dropping the cocaine. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA cocaine haul possibly worth up to €100 million was brought ashore on the southwest coast (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe drugs were smuggled to Britain, possibly on a ferry from Northern Ireland (irishtimes.com)
- whatFive men have been arrested in the Republic (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe drugs were unloaded onto RIBs from a larger vessel off the coast of Co Kerry (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe vessel is the Maltese-registered bulk carrier MV Royal (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe boat was empty with no drugs discovered (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe others include two men from Scotland and a Serbian national living in Manchester (irishtimes.com)
- whatAll are detained under organised crime legislation allowing up to seven days (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí seized encrypted mobile phones, night vision and satellite navigation equipment (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí and Customs officers boarded the MV Royal lying at anchor in the Shannon Estuary on Wednesday night (irishtimes.com)
- whatA 28-year-old crew member was arrested on suspicion of involvement in dropping off the cocaine (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe MV Royal left Porto Trombestas, an inland port in northern Brazil on a tributary of the Amazon, approximately 1,000km from the sea, on December 27th (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe MV Royal arrived off the Irish coast on Sunday before making for Foynes where it arrived on January 12th with a cargo of woodchip (irishtimes.com)
- whatThey bought a small boat on Done Deal for €10,000 cash in Kenmare (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe large consignment of cocaine was always destined for the UK (irishtimes.com)
- whatFive men were charged with conspiracy to import drugs valued at more than €13,000 (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe cargo vessel was at anchor in the Shannon Estuary (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe four men came ashore in a small boat at an isolated pier at Meenogahane near Ballyheigue in North Kerry. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe MV Royal left Porto Trombestas, an inland port in northern Brazil on a tributary of the Amazon, approximately 1,000km from the sea. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe four men had been staying in Waterville in South Kerry. (irishtimes.com)
- whereFour men came ashore at an isolated pier at Meenogahane near Ballyheigue in North Kerry at about 5.20am on Monday (irishtimes.com)
- whereFour of the men were arrested at Meenagohane Pier on the coast of Kerry in the early hours of Monday (irishtimes.com)
- whereFeljon Lao was arrested on a cargo ship in the Shannon Estuary on Tuesday (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe cargo vessel was boarded and searched on Wednesday, 15 January 2025 (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe four men were arrested at around 5.20am on Monday morning. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe gang put to sea from Meenogahane at about midnight on Sunday. (irishtimes.com)
- whenOn Wednesday night, gardaí and customs boarded the MV Royal at anchor in the Shannon Estuary. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe MV Royal departed Porto Trombestas on December 27th. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe MV Royal arrived at Foynes on January 12th with a cargo of woodchip. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe four men put to sea from Meenogahane at about midnight on Sunday (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe alleged importation took place between 11 and 13 January 2025 (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe man is detained under Section 50 Criminal Justice Act 2007 at a Garda station in Co. Clare (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe four men continue to be detained under Section 50 Criminal Justice Act 2007 at Garda stations in Co. Kerry (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationRevenue Customs Service officers supported by Gardaí from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau carried out the boarding and search (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationInternational inquiries are ongoing with Interpol, Europol and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics in Portugal and other police forces. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe equipment was sent for examination by garda IT experts to show where the men had sailed (irishtimes.com)
- investigationMore than 20 members of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau were in court along with detectives from the Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit (irishtimes.com)
- courtDet Chief Supt Seamus Boland of the GNDOC applied at a special sitting of Killarney District Court for a 72-hour extension on Tuesday night. (irishtimes.com)
- courtJudge David Waters granted the 72-hour extension allowing detention until late Friday night. (irishtimes.com)
- courtAll five were remanded in custody to appear via video link in Tralee on 22 January 2025 (irishtimes.com)
- otherA Garda spokesperson confirmed that investigations are ongoing (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe operation was a joint Garda and Revenue operation targeting international organised crime (irishtimes.com)
- otherFeljon Lao is a 28-year-old Filipino seaman who earned $200 a week (irishtimes.com)
- otherRyan Watson earned €175 a week (irishtimes.com)
- otherGary Monks was unemployed and on disability (irishtimes.com)
- otherMiljan Koprivica had no income, assets or savings (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 17 Jan2025Five men appear in court in Co Kerry accused of plot to import drugs
First court appearance of five men from a Garda and Revenue joint operation targeting international organised crime; four were arrested at Meenagohane Pier on Monday and the fifth, a Filipino seaman, was arrested on a cargo ship in the Shannon Estuary on Tuesday. All remanded in custody.
accused, Miljan Koprivica, 45, male, Serbian, named, non-irishMiljan Koprivicaaccused, Ryan Watson, 31, male, namedRyan Watsonaccused, Gary Monks, 40, male, namedGary Monksaccused, Conor Costello, 30, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor Costelloaccused, Feljon Lao, 28, male, Filipino, named, non-irishFeljon Lao - 17 Jan2025Search for second smuggling crew after suspected €100m cocaine haul delivered off Kerry
Provides detailed background on the operation: the MV Royal's route from Porto Trombestas, Brazil; the transfer of cocaine to RIBs off Kerry; the four men's movements (staying in Waterville, buying a boat on Done Deal in Kenmare for €10,000); seizure of encrypted phones and navigation equipment; and the belief that a second group transported the drugs to Britain, possibly via a ferry from Northern Ireland.
suspect, 30, male, non-irish (judged from name)suspect, male, non-irish (judged from name)suspect, male, non-irish (judged from name)suspect, male, Serbian, non-irishsuspect, 28, male - 16 Jan2025Gardaí searching for up to €100m worth of cocaine smuggled into Ireland
Initial report of the arrests of four men at Meenogahane near Ballyheigue and a 28-year-old crew member on the MV Royal; details the 72-hour detention extension hearing at Killarney District Court; describes the alleged mother-ship drug drop method and the vessel's route from Brazil.
suspect, 30, male, non-irish (judged from name)suspect, male, non-irish (judged from name)suspect, male, non-irish (judged from name)suspect, male, Serbian, non-irishsuspect, 28, male - 16 Jan2025Man arrested after gardai board and search cargo vessel in Shannon Estuary
Provides details of the arrest circumstances: the 28-year-old was arrested on a cargo vessel in the Shannon Estuary on 15 January by Revenue Customs Service and GNBCI, and the four others were arrested at Meenogahane, Co. Kerry on 13 January. Confirms all five remain detained and investigations are ongoing.
suspect, 28, malesuspect, 30, malesuspect, 31, malesuspect, 39, malesuspect, 45, male