Engineer enlisted to help throw €21m of cocaine off ship near Limerick village but nobody showed up

A BULGARIAN man who was set to help another accused throw “pure cocaine” with a potential street value of over €105m from a ship into the Shannon Estuary will be sentenced next month.

Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard that the people supposed to collect the €21,604,891 worth of cocaine on a flat stretch of water near Glin never arrived and the drugs were seized when the ship docked in Foynes Port.

Nikola Penchev, aged 33, of Veliki Preslav, Bulgaria pleaded guilty to a number of drugs offences including possession of cocaine with a value over €13,000 for sale or supply.

Lily Buckley BL, instructed by State solicitor Brendan Gill, outlined the evidence with the assistance of Detective Garda Adrian Cahill on Wednesday.

Garda Cahill confirmed to Ms Buckley that Customs received confidential information regarding the MV Verila, sailing under a Maltese flag, due to come into the port at Foynes on December 19, 2023.

The court heard 12 bales of cocaine, broken up into 306 packages, weighed 308.6 kilos. The drugs were found in an air-conditioned room on the “poop deck” of the ship.

Garda Cahill said this was a restricted area and Mr Penchev, who was the second engineer and officer, had access to the area which was for “authorised personnel only”.

A fellow Bulgarian on board -  Kamen Petkov, aged 36, of Apartment 15, Varna Street, Vladaskav, Varrevciuk, 131 Bulgaria - was jailed for 10 years last December over the importation of €21,604,891 worth of cocaine. Judge Colin Daly said Mr Petkov “facilitated organised crime intentionally for a significant reward” of €150,000.

READ MORE: Cocaine with a street value of €105m seized in Limerick was hidden under beds

Mr Penchev told gardai that he saw the packages and asked Mr Petkov what was in them. The accused said Mr Petkov told him that cocaine was brought aboard in Brazil and “don’t tell anyone as the drugs people were dangerous and his family would be in trouble”.

Garda Cahill said the two men went to the gym daily together.

Mr Penchev told gardai Mr Petkov enlisted him with the concealment of cocaine and to help move the drugs from its secret location to the deck for it to be thrown overboard. Mr Penchev was to be paid a “few thousand” by Mr Petkov when he got back to Bulgaria.

The two men were ready to throw the drugs overboard at a location near Glin that Mr Petkov had on an app. However, the people never arrived to collect the drugs so they moved the cocaine back to the air conditioned room on the poop deck.

Mr Penchev said he was “afraid for his life” not to help.

Garda Cahill said there is no evidence the accused was involved in the preparation or loading of the cocaine.

Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC, who represented Mr Penchev, said the roles of the two men were fundamentally and radically different.

He said one was premeditated, highly-organised and well-renumerated while his client’s relationship was used by another person amid a “background of fear”.

Mr Ó Lideadha said his client has pleaded guilty and apologises. Counsel said Mr Penchev was doing well in prison where he is on remand, is an excellent father and husband, and lived an exemplary life until this matter.

Judge Colin Daly said he has "much to consider" and put sentencing back to May 2.