A ship detained at Cork port since 2.2 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated €157m (£133.5m) was seized on it in September 2023 has finally left the harbour.
Managing and maintaining the MV Matthew since then has cost the Irish state around €17m.
The 28,000-tonne Panama-registered freighter could not be disposed of until December 2024 as it was needed for evidential purposes.
An international shipping company later acquired the vessel for a nominal price of $1 with an agreement to tow the vessel to Varna in Bulgaria.
