The €21.6 million total cocaine haul was smuggled on board the MV Verila cargo ship, which travelled from Brazil to Canada and onto Foynes Port, Co Limerick,

The court heard that the Brazilian national had been offered $10,000 Brazilian real, the equivalent of about €2,000, in exchange for transporting the drugs.

Ten men remain in custody this morning over an investigation into a suspected drug smuggling operation off west Cork

Prosecutors said in an indictment released ahead of their trial they are seeking four-and-a-half year prison sentences for each of the accused if they are found guilty of drug trafficking and another year in jail if they are convicted at trial of belonging to a criminal gang.