LAST UPDATE | 16 Jul

THE MV MATTHEW, the cargo ship at the centre of Ireland’s biggest-ever cocaine seizure, is due to leave Cork Harbour after almost three years tied up at the port.

The bulk carrier has sold to a Dutch scrappage company, sources have confirmed to The Journal.

It had been expected to be moved at 6pm this evening before beginning its final journey to the Netherlands.

However, the move has been delayed by 24 hours due to a technical issue on the ship. 

Earlier, the Port of Cork stated in a post on social media that the vessel will require four towing vessels to take it out to sea.

The Port also described the move as a “complex towage operation”, and urged other sailors in the area to be cautious during the operation.

Its departure will finally draw a line under the saga of the MV Matthew, which has remained in Cork Harbour since its seizure in September 2023.

The MV Matthew was seized in a dramatic military and law enforcement operation off the coast of Co Waterford in September 2023 after authorities intercepted a shipment of 2.2 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated €157 million.

The operation involved the Army Ranger Wing fast-roping onto the vessel from a helicopter after warning shots were fired by the Naval Service, while gardaí arrested suspects who had attempted to bring the drugs ashore aboard a trawler.

Since then, the ship has remained berthed in Cork Harbour under the control of Revenue Customs while legal proceedings concluded and officials sought a buyer.

The vessel’s prolonged stay proved costly for the State, with millions of euros spent maintaining the ship, employing an agency crew and moving it around the harbour when required to free up berths.

Last year, The Journal revealed that Revenue had identified a preferred bidder for the vessel but was awaiting approval from Panamanian authorities to allow it to return to sea.

The ship sailed under a Panamanian flag of convenience despite investigators believing its true ownership lay with organised crime figures linked to the Middle East.