Indonesia seeks death penalty for 2-tonne meth smuggling case

Indonesian prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for six defendants accused of smuggling nearly two tonnes of methamphetamine in Riau Islands waters, saying they knowingly transported the drugs aboard a vessel intercepted at sea.

Attorney General’s Office spokesperson Anang Supriatna said the suspects admitted receiving about 67 packages, weighing nearly two tonnes, in a mid-sea transfer.

“They were aware they received around 67 packages, or about 2 tonnes of meth, at sea,” Anang told reporters in Jakarta on Friday.

He said the defendants knew some of the drugs were stored in the bow of the vessel and the rest near the engine compartment.

Court proceedings also revealed that one crew member, Fandi Ramadhan, received 8.2 million rupiah in payment.

“Based on trial facts, prosecutors concluded he was employed, received payment, transported the goods and knew they were illegal narcotics,” Anang said.

He said the capital punishment demand followed careful consideration, citing the scale of the crime and its cross-border nature.

“For us, the priority is the state’s commitment to protect citizens from narcotics. This involves nearly two tonnes and an international syndicate,” he said.

The Batam district prosecutor’s office in Riau Islands is pursuing death sentences against 6 suspects linked to the shipment aboard the Sea Dragon Terawa vessel.

The defendants include two Thai nationals, Weerepat Phongwan, also known as Mr Pong, and Teerapong Lekpradube, along with 4 Indonesians: Fandi Ramadhan, Richard Halomoan, Leo Candra Samosir and Hasiholan Samosir.

Prosecutors said the case was supported by testimony from 10 witnesses and 3 expert witnesses presented during trial.

Authorities seized 67 brown boxes wrapped in clear plastic, including 66 boxes each containing 30 green tea-branded plastic packages with meth, and 1 box containing 20 similar packages.

The total net weight of the seized methamphetamine was 1,995,139 grams, or nearly two tonnes, prosecutors said.

Prosecutor Gutirio Kurniawan said the defendants were charged under Articles 114(2) and 132(1) of Indonesia’s 2009 Narcotics Law.

Prosecutors argued the crime undermined government efforts to combat drug trafficking, harmed the nation’s youth and involved an international narcotics network.

Defense hearings are scheduled for Feb. 26, 2026.

Source: antara.news, Staff, February 20, 2026

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