A MAN who helped a Brazilian drug cartel smuggle one of the biggest cocaine hauls in Irish history through the country is facing a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, a court heard.
Nikola Penchev (34), of Veliki, Preslav, Bulgaria, appeared before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to one count of possessing over €21million worth of cocaine for sale or supply.
Gardaí and Customs Officers seized the massive drugs haul on board the MV Verila, a Maltese registered cargo ship, after it docked at Foynes Port, County Limerick, carrying a legitimate load of Canadian corn on December 19, 2023.
Penchev was working on the ship as a second engineer and an officer in charge of an air-conditioning room where the cocaine was discovered by a sniffer dog brought on board the vessel by the authorities.
The drugs, valued at €21,604,891, which were tied together with life jackets and strapped to a beacon transmitter, were supposed to be dumped overboard at Glin, County Limerick, prior to the ship docking in Foynes.
However, when unidentified individuals, who were to collect the drugs at the planned drop-off zone did not show, Penchev and another Bulgarian ship worker, Kamen Petkov, returned the 12 bales of cocaine below deck of the cargo vessel.
Petkov (37), also a Bulgarian national, was jailed for 10 years last December after he pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs for sale or supply.
Gardaí said Petkov told them he was to be paid €150,000 for helping the gang, however Gardaí were satisfied Petkov didn’t receive any payment.
Detective Garda Adrian Cahill, Limerick Garda Divisional Drugs Unit, agreed with prosecuting barrister, Lily Buckley BL, that Petkov organised the drugs on board and “recruited” Penchev.
Ms Buckley told the court that Petkov told Penchev that if they lost the drugs, their lives would be under threat from “dangerous people”, and that the drugs were “worth more” than his life.
Penchev told Gardaí that Petkov offered him €10,000 to help him store and unload the drugs overboard, but that he only helped Petkov because he was “afraid” of the consequences for him and family if he didn’t do what he was asked.
Detective Garda Cahill also agreed that unidentified parties in Santos, Brazil, had used smaller boats to initially bring the drugs on board the MV Verila at night, while the 18 crew, except for Petkov, were asleep.
Petkov loaded the drugs onto the ship at Santos, and Penchev joined the vessel in Montreal, Canada, before it made its way to Ireland.
The Brazilian drugs cartel planned for most the haul to be collected in Foynes and transported across Europe for distribution.
Petkov kept in contact with the cartel members via a satellite phone and used the map and OsmAnd navigation app to provide the gang with the ship’s location at all times.
Asking the court for leniency, Penchev’s barrister told the court his client was not the instigator, that he is remorseful, a good loving father and husband, well-educated, respected in his local community, and that he had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
Judge Colin Daly said he had much to consider and that he would pass sentence on May 2.
