House of Representatives Urges Law Enforcement to Reconsider Death Sentence for Crew Member in Two-Tonne Methamphetamine Case

Commission III of the House of Representatives has called on law enforcement authorities at the Batam District Court to reconsider the death sentence sought against a crew member named Fandi Ramadhan. The recommendation was produced during a closed-door meeting of Commission III members on Monday, 23 February 2026.

“Commission III of the House of Representatives takes seriously the case of the death penalty demand against Fandi Ramadhan at the Batam District Court,” said Commission III Chairman Habiburokhman following the meeting at the House of Representatives complex in Jakarta on Monday.

Habiburokhman explained that the meeting was convened because the case against Fandi involves a sentence of capital punishment. Fandi, along with five other crew members, is alleged to have been involved in the smuggling of two tonnes of narcotics aboard the cargo vessel Sea Dragon Terawa. However, the House urged that the sentence be reviewed, as information indicates Fandi was not the principal offender, has no prior criminal record, and had attempted to warn of potential criminal activity.

The meeting produced three recommendations which, according to Habiburokhman, ought to be acted upon by the government and legal bodies in accordance with Article 74 of the MD3 Law. In its conclusions, Commission III reminded the panel of judges at the Batam District Court that the concept of capital punishment under the new Criminal Code (KUHP) differs significantly from the old one.

“Under Article 98 of the new Criminal Code, the death penalty is no longer a principal punishment but rather a final alternative sentence that should be applied very strictly and very selectively,” said the Gerindra Party politician.

Commission III also urged the panel of judges to hand down a verdict that takes into account Fandi’s circumstances, including the nature of his culpability, his state of mind, and his life history. This, Habiburokhman said, is in accordance with Article 54 Paragraph 1 of the new Criminal Code.

A further recommendation from Commission III encouraged the Batam District Court judges to bear in mind that the new Criminal Code no longer adheres to a paradigm of retributive justice, which treats the law merely as a tool for retaliation. Instead, the application of the new Criminal Code has shifted towards substantive, rehabilitative, and restorative justice — the law as a means of societal improvement.

According to Habiburokhman, the three recommendations would be reported to the House leadership for forwarding to the relevant parties, including the Batam District Court. “The results of this meeting will be forwarded directly to the relevant parties, including the Batam District Court through the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia,” he said.

On Monday, 23 February 2026, Fandi was scheduled to attend a plea hearing with his defence counsel’s submissions on the agenda. During the reading of the prosecution’s demands on 5 February 2026, the death penalty was sought for Fandi. He was not alone — the same sentence was demanded by prosecutors for the five other crew members, including the captain.

Upon hearing the demands, Fandi’s parents were hysterical after the hearing. His mother wept as her son emerged from the courtroom. Before entering the prisoner transport vehicle, Fandi knelt at his mother’s feet. He also cried out that the law in Indonesia is unjust.

The smuggling of two tonnes of methamphetamine began with a raid by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and Riau Islands Customs in the waters off Tanjung Balai Karimun on 21 May 2025. The vessel Sea Dragon Terawa aroused suspicion as it was not flying a flag. Upon inspection, the ship carried no oil cargo and the crew failed to provide adequate answers.

The vessel was then escorted to the Customs Dock at Tanjung Uncang, Batam, arriving at approximately 05:35 local time. On board were six crew members, including Fandi. The five other defendants were Hasiholan Samosir (captain), Leo Chandra Samosir (helmsman), Richard Halomoan Tambunan (responsible for the cargo), and two Thai nationals — Teerapong Lekpradub (helmsman) and Weerapat Phongwan (known as Mr Pong), the engineer.

According to statements made during the trial, Fandi explained how he came to be aboard the vessel. In April 2025, Captain Hasiholan Samosir contacted Fandi via WhatsApp and offered him work as a crew member on a tanker. Fandi accepted the offer immediately and submitted the requested maritime documents. It later emerged that Fandi was also a graduate of a maritime school in Aceh.

On 1 May 2025, Fandi departed from Medan to Thailand together with Hasiholan and two other crew members, Leo Chandra Samosir and Richard Halomoan Tambunan. They met the remaining crew members, Teerapong Lekpradub and Weerapat Phongwan, alias Mr Pong, and stayed for approximately ten days whilst awaiting instructions from a figure known as Mr Tan, who is on the wanted persons list.

On 13 May 2025, they departed by speedboat from the Surakhon River towards the tanker Sea Dragon, which was anchored approximately three miles from the river mouth. Tasks were then allocated aboard the vessel.

In the early hours of 18 May 2025, in the waters off Phuket, the Sea Dragon received coordinates from Mr Tan. It then rendezvoused with a Thai-flagged fishing vessel and exchanged a code in the form of laminated Myanmar currency before receiving 67 cardboard boxes wrapped in white plastic, which were stored in the bow compartment and fuel tank. The Thai flag was then removed and discarded at sea.

At 00:05 local time on 21 May 2025, in the waters off Karimun, the vessel was intercepted by a joint BNN and Customs team for failing to fly a national flag. After the crew were unable to provide adequate explanations, the vessel was escorted to the Customs Dock at Tanjung Uncang, Batam, arriving at approximately 05:35 local time.

The BNN and Customs team discovered 67 boxes containing 2,000 plastic packets in green Guanyinwang-brand tea packaging, with a total net weight of 1,995,130 grammes of white crystalline powder. Laboratory results from the BNN dated 16 June 2025 confirmed the contents tested positive for methamphetamine, classified as a Category I Narcotic under Law Number 35 of 2009 on Narcotics.

The case subsequently attracted public attention. Fandi, together with his family and legal counsel, maintains that he was unaware that the cargo aboard the Sea Dragon Terawa was narcotics.