Captain of Ship Sea Dragon Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

The captain of the ship Sea Dragon, Hasiholan Samosir, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the panel of judges at the Batam State Court in a case involving the smuggling of nearly 2 tonnes of methamphetamine. The verdict was delivered during a sentencing hearing held on Monday, 9 March.

The presiding judge, Tiwik, found that Hasiholan was proven to have been involved in transporting a very large quantity of methamphetamine using the vessel he commanded.

The case originated from the seizure of the Sea Dragon in the waters of Karimun, Riau Islands, in May 2025. During that operation, authorities discovered evidence of approximately 1.995 kilograms of methamphetamine allegedly sourced from an international narcotics network.

Previously, the public prosecutor had sought the death penalty for Hasiholan Samosir along with several other crew members. However, in its ruling, the panel of judges imposed a life sentence on the ship’s captain.

Ahead of the sentencing hearing, Hasiholan revealed his deteriorating health condition. The 55-year-old man stated that he had suffered a mild stroke in December 2024, prior to sailing with the Sea Dragon.

He also mentioned that whilst serving his detention at the State Detention Centre (Rutan), he was dependent on antihypertensive medication sent monthly by his wife from Medan.

Nevertheless, during the proceedings, Hasiholan maintained his claim that he was unaware of the narcotics cargo aboard the vessel he commanded. He insisted that he was merely performing his duties as ship’s captain and felt he had been framed in the case.

Meanwhile, his family expressed hopes that the panel of judges would consider Hasiholan’s health condition and his role in the matter. However, the panel of judges upheld the life sentence after considering the facts presented during the trial.