Batam District Court Sentences Thai Seaman to Life Imprisonment in 2-Tonne Meth Case

The Batam District Court, in the Riau Islands, has handed a life sentence to crew member Weerapat Phongwan, a national of Thailand, of the Sea Dragon Terawa, in the case of smuggling narcotics of the type sabu with a weight of nearly 2 tons.

“Imposing a life sentence on the defendant Weerapat Phongwan,” said Chief Judge Tiwik of Batam District Court, on Friday (6/3).

In the decision, the panel of judges found the defendant Weerapat Phongwan legally and convincingly proven guilty of involvement in a criminal conspiracy without right or against the law, and having acted as an intermediary in the sale and purchase of narcotics of group I not plants weighing more than 5 grams as alleged in the primary indictment by the public prosecutor.

The verdict by the panel is lighter than the demand by the Public Prosecutor of Batam District Attorney’s Office who previously demanded the death penalty for six defendants in the case.

Earlier on Thursday (5/3), the judges sentenced Fandi Ramadhan to five years’ imprisonment.

The panel’s decision considered the prosecution’s demands as well as the defence’s arguments, testimony of witnesses and experts, and evidence in the form of 67 brown cartons wrapped in transparent plastic.

Details: 66 cartons each containing 30 plastic-wrapped sachets of green Chinese tea, brand Guanyinwang, inside which there was one sachet of methamphetamine. Meanwhile, one other carton contains 20 plastic-wrapped sachets of green Chinese tea packaging containing crystalline methamphetamine.

Total net weight of the evidence reached 1,995,139 grams, or almost 2 tonnes.

The aggravating factor is that the drug quantity nearly 2 tonnes; there was concern that if near Indonesian territory it would severely damage the nation’s future generation; the defendant did not support the government’s program to combat illicit drug trafficking.

In its decision, the panel considered Article 114(2) in conjunction with Article 132(1) of Law Number 35 of 2009 on Narcotics.

After reading the verdict, the panel invited the defendant, his counsel and the Public Prosecutor to respond.

In response to the verdict, the defendant’s lawyer stated they would appeal.

Then the Public Prosecutor said they are still considering their stance on the panel’s decision.