Ireland Named in reporting
Nikola Penchev
Born 1991, from the ages reported. 10 reports across 1 case, 24 Dec 2023 to 28 Aug 2025
Key facts
from every report naming them- Named as
- Convicted, accused
- Born
- 1991, from the ages reported
- Nationality
- Bulgarian, as stated in a report
- Offences
- Possession of controlled drugs (cocaine), Drug trafficking
- Where
- Co. Limerick
- Reporting
- 10 reports, 24 Dec 2023 to 28 Aug 2025
- Outlets
- irishtimes.com, limerickpost.ie, limerickleader.ie, thejournal.ie, rte.ie
Photographs
as published, with the outlet's credit
Images are shown from the outlet that published them and link back to the article. Copyright stays with the credited photographer or agency.
Cases
latest first- Two men jailed for 10 years over cocaine seizure at Foynes Possession of controlled drugs (cocaine) · Co. Limerick
Revenue Customs officers found 308.6kg of cocaine worth €21,604,891 hidden in an air-conditioning room on the Maltese-registered cargo ship MV Verila when it docked at Foynes Port, Co Limerick, on 19 December 2023, having sailed from Brazil via Canada. Six men were arrested on 22 December 2023, of whom four were released without charge. Bulgarian crew members Kamen Petkov, 36, an able seaman, and Nikola Penchev, 34, a second engineer, were charged with possession of cocaine for sale or supply. Petkov pleaded guilty to three charges in July 2024 and was sentenced to 10 years in December 2024; Penchev pleaded guilty in January 2025 and was sentenced to 10 years in May 2025. The investigation remains ongoing, with search operations carried out in Leeds and Sunderland in August 2025.
Sentenced, 17 Dec 2024Convicted, accused · 10 reports
Timeline
every report naming Nikola Penchev, newest firstEach entry shows how that report described them.
- 28 Aug2025Gardaí target suspected drug traffickers behind €22m cocaine seizure at Foynes Port in 2023convicted, Nikola Penchev, 34, male, Bulgarian, named, non-irishNikola Penchev
- 28 Aug2025Limerick Gardaí lead search operations in UK in connection with €21.6m cocaine seizure at Foynes Portconvicted, Nikola Penchev, 34, male, Bulgarian, named, non-irishNikola Penchev
- 7 May2025Man jailed for 10 years for smuggling Brazilian cartel’s €21m cocaine haul through Limerickconvicted, Nikola Penchev, 34, male, Bulgarian, named, non-irishNikola Penchev
- 17 Apr2025Engineer enlisted to help throw €21m of cocaine off ship near Limerick village but nobody showed upconvicted, Nikola Penchev, 33, male, Bulgarian, named, non-irishNikola Penchev
- 11 Apr2025Man who helped smuggle €21m cocaine haul through Ireland facing 10 years in jailconvicted, Nikola Penchev, 34, male, Bulgarian, named, non-irishNikola Penchev
- 31 Jan2025Bulgarian man pleads guilty to possessing €21 million cocaine haul smuggled into Limerick portconvicted, Nikola Penchev, 34, male, Bulgarian, named, non-irishNikola Penchev
- 3 Jan2024Ship carrying record seizure of cocaine in Limerick remains detained at Foynes Portaccused, Nikola Yordanov Penchev, 32, male, Bulgarian, named, non-irishNikola Yordanov Penchev
- 29 Dec2023Men charged over €21m cocaine seizure in Foynes to spend new year in jailaccused, Nikola Penchev, 32, male, Bulgarian, named, non-irishNikola Penchev
- 24 Dec2023Two men charged in connection with seizure of €21 million worth of drugs in Foynes Port earlier this weekaccused, Nikola Yordanov Penchev, 32, male, Bulgarian, named, non-irishNikola Yordanov Penchev
- 24 Dec2023Two appear in court following 300kg cocaine seizureaccused, Nikola Penchev, 32, male, Bulgarian, named, non-irishNikola Penchev
Matched on the name as printed, ignoring quoted nicknames, and split by the ages reported. Two people who share a name and age would appear together here.