Four men arrested following a €31 million drug seizure in west Cork earlier this year have indicated they will each plead guilty to a series of charges, including importing the drugs, a court has heard.
Mark Doherty (40), Levant Gulay (31), Ben Sandford (39) and Christopher Hibbett (45) each entered signed guilty pleas to five charges relating to the seizure last July of 440kg of cocaine. The joint task force operation involved gardaí, Revenue Customs and the Naval Service.
All four were charged last July with possession of cocaine and possession for sale or supply at Meelmane, Courtmacsherry, Co Cork, on July 1st, 2025.
They were last month charged with a further offence of possession of more than €13,000-worth of cocaine for sale or supply, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.
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The men were charged with importation of drugs at Meelmane on July 1st.
All four were also charged with possession of an article in connection with the commission of a crime on the same day. Mr Doherty and Mr Levant were charged with possession of mobile phones in connection with the commission of a crime, while Mr Sandford and Mr Hibbet were each charged with possession of a rigid inflatable boat in connection with the commission of a crime.
At Bandon District Court on Thursday, defence solicitor Plunkett Taaffe confirmed Mr Doherty, of Waterfoot Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland, and Mr Sandford, of Woodgreen, Drum Road, Keith, Moray, Scotland, were each entering signed pleas of guilty on all five charges.
Defence solicitor Myra Dineen confirmed Mr Gulay, of Schwabeenstrasse 76, Neu Ulm, Germany, and Mr Hibbett, of Lower Park, Trissillian, Truro, England, were also entering signed pleas of guilty to the five charges.
Sgt Tom Mulcahy said the Director of Public Prosecutions consented to all four men being sent forward for trial on indictment at Cork Circuit Criminal Court or for sentence if the accused chose to enter signed pleas of guilty on all five charges.
He applied to have all four accused returned for trial to the next sittings of Cork Circuit Criminal Court commencing February 10th. Judge Joanne Carroll remanded all four in custody to appear at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on that date.
