Mother's Tearful Plea to Free Crew Member Son from Death Penalty in Two-Tonne Methamphetamine Case
The mother of a crew member from Medan, North Sumatra, named Fandi Ramadhan, has pleaded for her son to be freed from the death penalty in a drug smuggling case involving six defendants.
Nirwana said her son had no knowledge that the 67 boxes loaded onto the vessel at sea contained narcotics.
“I beg President Prabowo to please help me. We are poor people — where else can I turn for help? To the honourable judge, I plead that my son is not guilty and had no knowledge of the cargo,” Nirwana said in North Jakarta on Friday (20 February).
Fighting back tears, she recounted how in April 2025, her son received a job offer to work on a Thai vessel. Fandi then communicated with an agent and was asked to prepare the necessary documents.
Fandi also communicated with the ship’s captain, Hasiholan Samosir, who was also arrested and is a co-defendant in the case. Based on their communications, the position offered was described as work on a cargo vessel.
Nirwana said Fandi had no prior acquaintance with Hasiholan Samosir. “I asked him, ‘Fandi, have you known the captain long?’ He said, ‘No, Mum. I’ve only just met him — we’re only getting to know each other now that we’re about to depart,’” she said, recounting her son’s words.
Fandi departed for Thailand on 1 May 2025. After spending some time in Thailand, he set sail on 13 May bound for the Philippines, passing through Indonesian waters.
On 18 May, a loading operation took place at sea, transferring cargo onto the vessel Fandi was aboard. According to Nirwana, Fandi questioned the contents of the 67 boxes being transferred to his ship. The captain reportedly told the crew the cargo contained gold and money.
“Everyone acknowledged in court that Fandi did indeed ask the captain about the cargo. The next morning, Fandi asked the captain again, and that night he told his fellow crew members, ‘What is this stuff? Something’s not right about this cargo — it must be a bomb. How can you not be suspicious? This has to be a bomb,’” Nirwana said.
The vessel carrying Fandi and several others was intercepted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and Customs on 21 May. The ship was found to be carrying 1,995,130 grammes — approximately two tonnes — of crystal methamphetamine.
The case has proceeded to trial with six defendants: Fandi, Hasiholan Samosir, Leo Chandra Samosir, Richard Halomoan Tambunan, Teerapong Lekpradub, and Weerapat Phongwan, also known as Mr Pong.
At the same event, prominent lawyer Hotman Paris argued that Fandi should not face the death penalty in this case. He noted that Fandi had no prior relationship with the ship’s captain and had expressed suspicion when the boxes were being transferred onto the vessel.
“I strongly urge the Attorney General to send a team to re-examine this case, because regardless of the circumstances, even a prosecution brief can be withdrawn — in the interest of justice, why not?” Hotman said.
He also called on President Prabowo Subianto to give the case his personal attention. “Likewise, I appeal to the panel of judges at the Batam District Court, and subsequently the Chief Justice of the Riau Islands High Court, to truly listen to the tears of the parents of this victim of false accusation,” Hotman said.
The Attorney General’s Office had previously responded to the death penalty demand against Fandi Ramadhan. Spokesperson Anang Supriatna affirmed that the severity of the sentence sought by prosecutors was based on legal facts and evidence presented in court.