DPR Questions Legal Disparities: Crew Member Faces Death Penalty, Alleged Mastermind of 2-Ton Drug Smuggling Remains at Large

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The elimination of outstanding dues needs to be realised first while considering economic conditions.

The elimination of outstanding dues needs to be realised first while considering economic conditions.

Member of Commission III of the DPR RI, Martin Daniel Tumbelaka, strongly criticised the actions of the public prosecutor (JPU) who sought the death penalty for Fandi Ramadhan, 22, a crew member of the Sea Dragon. The demand was considered disproportionate given the defendant’s position as only a worker, while the intellectual actor behind the smuggling of two tons of methamphetamine is still at large.

This sharp criticism was conveyed by Martin in a Public Hearing Meeting (RDPU) of Commission III of the DPR RI which presented the family of Fandi Ramadhan and his legal counsel, Hotman Paris Hutapea, at the Nusantara I Building, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday (26/2).

Martin highlighted the existence of two people on the wanted list, namely Mr Tan and Jack Tan, who are suspected of being the main actors in the international network. To date, authorities have not been successful in arresting the two. “The main actor (DPO) has not been found, but the crew member is being sought for the maximum penalty. This is our big question,” said Martin.

This Gerindra Party politician believes that the JPU ignored the realities of working at sea. Previously, the prosecutor based the death penalty demand on the grounds that Fandi was considered guilty of not refusing or inspecting the ship’s cargo, which turned out to contain methamphetamine.

“The question is, does Fandi have the capacity to refuse the goods being loaded? He is not the controller, not the initiator, and does not have the authority. These things should be considered by the prosecutor before imposing the death penalty,” he added.

Call the Investigator

In order to thoroughly investigate the irregularities in the handling of the case in Batam, Martin encouraged Commission III of the DPR to summon the police investigators and JPU involved in the follow-up meeting. Transparency is considered urgent so that the public knows the basis of the examination until the maximum demand appears against the person who is allegedly being used.

“Of course, we agree that it is necessary to listen directly to the investigators and JPU in the next meeting. We want to know what was actually done when examining this case,” said Martin.

Commission III is committed to overseeing this case in order to ensure the principles of justice and proportionality, especially in the application of the death penalty, which is the harshest sanction in the Indonesian legal system.

Response from the Attorney General’s Office

The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) argued that the demand for the death penalty against six defendants, including Fandi, was in accordance with the facts of the trial. Fandi was previously tried at the Batam District Court (PN) for smuggling 1,995,130 grams of methamphetamine (approximately 2 tons).

Head of the Legal Information Center of the Attorney General’s Office, Anang Supriatna, stated that the legal process was carried out carefully based on valid evidence.

“Therefore, on February 5, 2026, the six defendants were prosecuted and each was charged with the death penalty. Of course, the public prosecutor in carrying out the prosecution is based on legal facts and evidence that was revealed at trial,” said Anang to reporters, Friday (20/2). (Faj/P-2)

Hasbiallah Ilyas, asked law enforcement officials to be transparent in handling the case of Fandi Ramadan, a Sea Dragon crew member who is facing the death penalty in the 2-ton methamphetamine case.

The Indonesian House of Representatives affirmed that military justice is not a space for impunity in the judicial review of the Military Justice Law at the Constitutional Court.

Member of Commission IX of the DPR RI, Asep Romy Romaya, asked the government to take firm action against companies that violate the obligation to pay Eid al-Fitr (THR) to their employees.

Deputy Chairman of the DPR RI, Prof. Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, urged the postponement of the import of 105 thousand pickup trucks from India for the Red and White Village/Sub-district Cooperative program.

Chairman of Commission V of the DPR RI, Lasarus, gave a firm clarification regarding information circulating on social media about the closure of Alfamart and Indomaret outlets.

Chairman of Commission III of the DPR, Habiburokhman, reminded the Batam District Court that the death penalty is an alternative punishment in the new Criminal Code, regarding the death penalty for the 2-ton methamphetamine crew case.

Member of Commission III of the DPR RI, Aboe Bakar Alhabsyi, emphasised the importance of pursuing the intellectual actors behind the smuggling of 2 tons of narcotics on the Sea Dragon ship.