A Filipino sailor has been sent to prison for 18 years in Ireland after being found guilty of helping smuggle a huge amount of cocaine—worth €157 million, or over 9 billion pesos—into the country.
This has become one of the biggest drug cases in Irish history, and the Filipino was one of the eight people arrested.
🚢 What Really Happened?
In September 2023, a big cargo ship called the MV Matthew, which flew a Panamanian flag, was caught off the coast of Ireland.
The ship came from Curaçao, near Venezuela, and was heading into Irish waters when a special unit of the Irish Army Rangers (a team of elite soldiers) stopped it. They believed the ship was carrying illegal drugs, and they were right.
Inside the ship, they found 2.2 tons of cocaine. That’s more than 2,000 big sacks of powdered drugs, enough to cause serious harm if spread around the country.
The Irish police called it the biggest cocaine seizure ever in Ireland.
🇵🇭 A Filipino Was On That Ship
One of the eight crew members caught was a Filipino seafarer—a sailor who works on ships that travel across the world. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in the Philippines confirmed that he was part of the group that went to trial in Ireland.
The court there found him guilty of trying to help bring the drugs into the country, and he was given a 28-year sentence.
But according to DFA Undersecretary Ed De Vega, that sentence was later reduced to 18 years because of the Filipino’s good behavior during the investigation and trial.
⚖️ How Others Were Punished
-
The highest sentence went to a man from the Netherlands (Dutch national) — he got 20 years.
-
The Filipino got the second-highest sentence: 18 years.
-
The six other crew members got sentences ranging from 13.5 to 17.5 years.
Everyone was part of the same crew on the MV Matthew, and all were convicted by Ireland’s Special Criminal Court, which handles very serious crimes.
🇵🇭 What Is the Philippine Government Doing?
Even though the Filipino was found guilty, the Philippine Embassy in Dublin, Ireland is still helping him.
They’re:
-
Talking to his lawyers,
-
Giving consular assistance, and
-
Helping his legal team decide if they will file another legal appeal or make a request to reduce the sentence further.
🚫 Why Is This a Big Deal?
Bringing drugs into a country is a very serious crime, and it can destroy lives and communities.
This case is especially alarming because:
-
The amount of cocaine was massive.
-
It involved an international crew.
-
It showed how dangerous smuggling by sea can be.
Even though the Filipino might not have been the mastermind, he was still part of the operation—and in the eyes of the Irish court, that was enough to be held accountable.
🔍 Final Thoughts
This story is a warning to all overseas workers, especially seafarers, to be very careful about who they work for and what kind of ship they’re joining.
A mistake—or trusting the wrong people—could lead to years behind bars in a faraway country.
