Batam District Court Seeks Public Monitoring of Death Penalty Sentencing Hearing in 2-Tonne Methamphetamine Trafficking Case
Batam District Court Asks Public to Monitor Sentencing Hearing for Crew Members of Ship Carrying 2 Tonnes of Crystal Meth
The Batam District Court (PN Batam), Riau Islands, has invited the public to jointly monitor the case involving nearly 2 tonnes of crystal meth carried by six crew members of the Sea Dragon Terawa ship, in order to ensure that justice is served.
This call was made because the case has garnered significant public attention, prompting Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) to oversee the proceedings and remind the panel of judges that the death penalty is an alternative punishment.
Previously, the crew members were charged with the death penalty by the prosecutors, including Fandi Ramadhan, who has become a focal point of public interest. Fandi claims to be a victim, stating that he was misled during the job application process, which ultimately led him to the ship that was seized by the BNN (National Narcotics Agency) of the Riau Islands Province.
“We must all monitor this case together; the public is welcome to participate because it has received considerable attention and has gone somewhat viral. However, please trust the Batam District Court,” said the Spokesperson for PN Batam, Vabiannes Stuart Wattimena, in Batam, Riau Islands, on Tuesday.
According to Wattimena, PN Batam is closely monitoring the developments in the 2-tonne crystal meth case, including the attention it has received from Commission III of the DPR RI. One of the defendants, Fandi, is seeking justice to be acquitted of the death penalty.
He stated that the attention from Commission III of the DPR RI is a form of oversight from the House of Representatives and also a partner of the Supreme Court (MA).
“This is part of the oversight process, as Commission III of the DPR is part of our partner and also the House of Representatives that deals with legal matters,” he said.
The case involving the crew members carrying nearly 2 tonnes of crystal meth has been ongoing since the end of 2025.
On Monday (23rd February), the hearing included the presentation of pleas from the defendants’ legal counsel and the defendants themselves.
This plea hearing was scheduled after the public prosecutor (JPU) of the Batam District Attorney’s Office had previously sought the death penalty for all six defendants on Thursday (5th February).
Subsequently, the hearing continued on Wednesday (25th February), with the JPU responding to the defendants’ pleas, followed by the legal counsel responding to the JPU’s response.
Wattimena emphasised that the authority of PN Batam in deciding the case cannot be interfered with by any party.
“Therefore, the independence of the judges cannot be challenged by anyone. However, when there is attention from the DPR RI, we understand that they are part of the oversight process, so they need to know that we are the judiciary and therefore we have independence,” said Wattimena, who is also a judge at PN Batam.
Previously, the Batam District Attorney’s Office in the Riau Islands sought the death penalty for six defendants in the case of smuggling approximately two tonnes of crystal meth, which was transported using the Sea Dragon Terawa ship in the waters of the Riau Islands.
The charges were read by the prosecutor of the Batam District Attorney’s Office during the hearing held at the Batam District Court on Thursday (5th February).
The indictment was read out one by one, starting with the defendants who are Thai citizens, namely Weerepat Phongwan, also known as Mr Pong, and Teerapong Lekpradube. Then, the four defendants who are Indonesian citizens, namely Fandi Ramadhan, Richard Halomoan, Leo Candra Samosir, and Hasiholan Samosir.
In the indictment, the prosecutor stated that the charges against the defendants in the trial had been examined with 10 witnesses and three expert witnesses, with evidence consisting of 67 brown boxes wrapped in clear plastic.
Specifically, 66 boxes contained 30 packages of green Chinese tea, each containing one package of crystal meth, and one brown box contained 20 packages of green Chinese tea containing crystal powder, with a net weight of 1,995,139 grams (almost 2 tonnes).
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