Batam District Court Targets Verdict in 2-Tonne Methamphetamine Crew Case Next Week
“Next week, a decision on the case is likely to be reached, considering that the detention period ends on 12 March.”
Batam (ANTARA) – The Batam District Court (PN), Riau Islands, is committed to completing the case of the crew members of the SeaDragon ship, which was carrying nearly 2 tons of methamphetamine, and to deliver the verdict next week.
Vabiannes Stuart Wattimena, Spokesperson for the Batam District Court, stated in Batam on Wednesday that the panel of judges must conduct the trial in a continuous manner so that the verdict can be delivered before the detention period of the defendants expires on 12 March 2026.
“Next week, a decision on the case is likely to be reached, considering that the detention period ends on 12 March,” said Wattimena.
He explained that on Monday (23/2), the Batam District Court held a hearing to hear the pleas of the six crew members. The next hearing is scheduled to be the response of the public prosecutor (JPU) from the Batam District Attorney’s Office (Kejari) to the defendants’ pleas (rebuttal).
The rebuttal hearing is scheduled for today, Wednesday (25/2), and the next hearing is scheduled to be the response of the defendants’ legal counsel to the JPU’s response (duplik).
Wattimena said that the panel of judges of the Batam District Court must immediately decide on the case, considering the end of the detention period for the six defendants.
The six defendants are two Thai citizens, Weerepat Phongwan, also known as Mr Pong, and Teerapong Lekpradube. Then there are four Indonesian citizens, namely Fandi Ramadhan, Richard Halomoan, Leo Candra Samosir, and Hasiholan Samosir.
According to him, the judges have 7 to 10 days before the defendants’ detention period ends to deliver the verdict. If not, the defendants may be released by law.
“That’s why the panel of judges is working non-stop; today there is a hearing for the JPU’s response, and then we will see the panel of judges give the legal counsel the right to respond to the JPU’s rebuttal,” he said.
The case of the crew members carrying nearly 2 tons of methamphetamine has attracted public attention after one of the defendants, Fandi Ramadhan, and his family asked the President to grant leniency. They also sought input from famous lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea.
In his plea, Fandi Ramadhan claimed that he had no power to disobey the captain’s orders. He works as a crew member in the engine room of the Sea Dragon ship. From the beginning, he noticed various suspicions, such as the cargo being loaded in the middle of the sea, not in an official port.
The ship’s documents state that it is a tanker, but it is carrying 67 boxes, which, according to Mr Tan, also known as Jacky (who ordered the cargo to be moved), contain money and gold.
A similar reason was also given by the other five crew members, including the two Thai citizens, who claimed that they were just ship workers.
On Thursday (2/5), the JPU of the Batam District Attorney’s Office demanded the death penalty for the six defendants.
In the indictment, the JPU stated that the charges against the defendants in the trial had been examined by 10 witnesses and three expert witnesses, with evidence in the form of 67 brown boxes wrapped in clear plastic, with details of 66 boxes containing 30 packages of green Chinese tea of the Guanyinwang brand, which contain one package of methamphetamine, and 1 brown box containing 20 packages of green Chinese tea containing crystal methamphetamine powder, with a net weight of 1,995,139 grams (almost 2 tons).
In the indictment, the JPU asked the panel of judges of the Batam District Court to try and decide that the defendants have been proven to have committed the crime as mentioned above.
The reasons for the JPU demanding the maximum penalty for the defendants are that the defendants’ actions do not support the government’s program in combating drug trafficking, damage the nation’s generation, and are involved in an international drug network.
There are no mitigating circumstances.
Copyright © ANTARA 2026
It is strictly prohibited to take content, crawl or automatically index for AI on this website without written permission from the ANTARA News Agency.
Batam (ANTARA) – The Batam District Court (PN), Riau Islands, is committed to completing the case of the crew members of the SeaDragon ship, which was carrying nearly 2 tons of methamphetamine, and to deliver the verdict next week.
Vabiannes Stuart Wattimena, Spokesperson for the Batam District Court, stated in Batam on Wednesday that the panel of judges must conduct the trial in a continuous manner so that the verdict can be delivered before the detention period of the defendants expires on 12 March 2026.
“Next week, a decision on the case is likely to be reached, considering that the detention period ends on 12 March,” said Wattimena.
He explained that on Monday (23/2), the Batam District Court held a hearing to hear the pleas of the six crew members. The next hearing is scheduled to be the response of the public prosecutor (JPU) from the Batam District Attorney’s Office (Kejari) to the defendants’ pleas (rebuttal).
The rebuttal hearing is scheduled for today, Wednesday (25/2), and the next hearing is scheduled to be the response of the defendants’ legal counsel to the JPU’s response (duplik).
Wattimena said that the panel of judges of the Batam District Court must immediately decide on the case, considering the end of the detention period for the six defendants.
The six defendants are two Thai citizens, Weerepat Phongwan, also known as Mr Pong, and Teerapong Lekpradube. Then there are four Indonesian citizens, namely Fandi Ramadhan, Richard Halomoan, Leo Candra Samosir, and Hasiholan Samosir.
According to him, the judges have 7 to 10 days before the defendants’ detention period ends to deliver the verdict. If not, the defendants may be released by law.
“That’s why the panel of judges is working non-stop; today there is a hearing for the JPU’s response, and then we will see the panel of judges give the legal counsel the right to respond to the JPU’s rebuttal,” he said.
The case of the crew members carrying nearly 2 tons of methamphetamine has attracted public attention after one of the defendants, Fandi Ramadhan, and his family asked the President to grant leniency. They also sought input from famous lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea.
In his plea, Fandi Ramadhan claimed that he had no power to disobey the captain’s orders. He works as a crew member in the engine room of the Sea Dragon ship. From the beginning, he noticed various suspicions, such as the cargo being loaded in the middle of the sea, not in an official port.
The ship’s documents state that it is a tanker, but it is carrying 67 boxes, which, according to Mr Tan, also known as Jacky (who ordered the cargo to be moved), contain money and gold.
A similar reason was also given by the other five crew members, including the two Thai citizens, who claimed that they were just ship workers.
On Thursday (2/5), the JPU of the Batam District Attorney’s Office demanded the death penalty for the six defendants.
In the indictment, the JPU stated that the charges against the defendants in the trial had been examined by 10 witnesses and three expert witnesses, with evidence in the form of 67 brown boxes wrapped in clear plastic, with details of 66 boxes containing 30 packages of green Chinese tea of the Guanyinwang brand, which contain one package of methamphetamine, and 1 brown box containing 20 packages of green Chinese tea containing crystal methamphetamine powder, with a net weight of 1,995,139 grams (almost 2 tons).
In the indictment, the JPU asked the panel of judges of the Batam District Court to try and decide that the defendants have been proven to have committed the crime as mentioned above.
The reasons for the JPU demanding the maximum penalty for the defendants are that the defendants’ actions do not support the government’s program in combating drug trafficking, damage the nation’s generation, and are involved in an international drug network.
There are no mitigating circumstances.
Copyright © ANTARA 2026
It is strictly prohibited to take content, crawl or automatically index for AI on this website without written permission from the ANTARA News Agency.