Kepri Deputy Chief Prosecutor Explains Reasons for Seeking Death Penalty Against Crew Member of 2-Tonne Methamphetamine Ship

The Deputy Head of the Kepulauan Riau (Kepri) High Prosecutor’s Office, Diah Yuliastuti, has spoken publicly regarding the death penalty sought by prosecutors against defendant Fandi Ramadhan in the case of the smuggling of nearly 2 tonnes of methamphetamine aboard the tanker MT Sea Dragon Tarawa from Thailand.

The vessel was intercepted by a joint task force comprising the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Customs and Excise, and the Indonesian Navy in the waters off Karimun, Kepri, on 15 May 2025. According to Diah, the defendant Fandi was aware of the smuggling operation involving nearly 2 tonnes of methamphetamine, along with his fellow crew members aboard the ship.

She stated that the defendant and his associates — Hasiholan Samosir, Leo Chandra Samosir, and Richard Halomoan Tambunan — departed on 10 May 2025 via an AirAsia flight from Medan to Bangkok, Thailand. They were said to have known from the beginning that they were being recruited by an illegal crewing agency to serve as crew members on the Sea Dragon, the vessel carrying nearly 2 tonnes of methamphetamine.

Defendant Fandi, Diah continued, had already received an initial bank transfer of Rp8.2 million from Hotman Simanung. Fandi and his associates were also said to have been aware of the plan for the Sea Dragon to pick up boxes containing methamphetamine during the voyage.

“In essence, what we are conveying here is that the defendant knew from the very beginning that he was recruited by an illegal crewing agency to serve as crew on the Sea Dragon, a tanker that should have been carrying oil but which he already knew would pick up 67 boxes containing approximately 1.9 tonnes of methamphetamine along the way,” Diah said when contacted on Friday (20 February).

She explained that the case had previously been handed over by the BNN to the Attorney General’s Office at the second stage of proceedings, through the Batam District Prosecutor’s Office under the jurisdiction of the Kepulauan Riau High Prosecutor’s Office.

After examination, the case file was declared to have met both formal and substantive requirements under the charges specified, namely Article 114 paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article 132 paragraph 1 of Law Number 35 of 2009 on Narcotics.

She noted that the death penalty demand against Fandi was also in accordance with hierarchical leadership directives dated 5 February 2026.

“The demands against all defendants have been in accordance with hierarchical leadership directives dated 5 February 2026,” she said.

Previously, through her legal counsel, a mother named Nirwana refused to accept that her son Fandi Ramadhan, one of the defendants in the case involving the smuggling of nearly 2 tonnes of methamphetamine, had been subject to a death penalty demand by prosecutors on Thursday (5 February).

She maintained that her son was innocent and had no knowledge that the ship was carrying nearly 2 tonnes of methamphetamine smuggled aboard the MT Sea Dragon Tarawa from Thailand.

Her legal counsel, Bahktiar, said his client had been suspicious about the nearly 2 tonnes of methamphetamine aboard the vessel and had questioned the ship’s captain. When asked, the captain reportedly claimed the cargo was gold and money.

“Regarding the evidence, while on the ship he was already suspicious and asked the captain what it was. The captain said it was gold and money. He tried to open it but was not allowed. Fighting back in the middle of the sea was not an option,” he told reporters on Thursday (5 February) after the hearing.

Furthermore, he said his client had been entrapped when applying for the crew position. On that basis, he argued that prosecutors were wrong to seek the death penalty for all defendants equally.

According to him, prosecutors must take into account witness testimony presented at trial and should mitigate the sentence for Fandi Ramadhan.

“They must consider the mitigating factors — that comes from the witness testimony, which should be taken into account. They should not treat everyone the same; that is what we cannot accept,” he said.

He added that his client would present the facts from the trial during the defence plea (pleidoi) scheduled for 23 February 2026.

“We, as Fandi’s legal counsel, based on the facts presented during the trial, are requesting an acquittal because he is a victim — we consider him a victim,” he said.

In addition to Fandi Ramadhan, the death penalty was also sought against Richard Halomoan Tambunan, Leo Chandra Samosir, Hasiholan Samosir, and two Thai nationals, Weerapat Phongwan and Teerapong Lekpradube.