Prosecutors mull over five-year prison sentence for Sea Dragon deckhand Fandi

Batam, Indonesia — The Batam District Court has handed down a five-year prison term to Fandi Ramadhan, a deckhand (ABK) on the Sea Dragon, in the case involving the smuggling of nearly two tonnes of methamphetamine off the coast of the Riau Islands. The hearing took place on Thursday, 5 March 2026. Chief Judge Tiwik stated: “We sentence the defendant Fandi Ramadhan to five years in prison.” The sentence is markedly lighter than the death penalty sought by prosecutors. The courtroom erupted in a mix of surprise and relief as Fandi was embraced by his mother; the judges urged all parties to maintain order to allow the proceedings to continue. Fandi’s lawyer, Bahtiar Batubara, said they are still considering legal avenues. “We had wanted acquittal, but that depends on the family. We have seven days to confer,” he said. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has not yet made a final decision on the five-year sentence. After the verdict, security personnel escorted Fandi to a prison van to prevent disturbances as his family approached the defendant. The case dates from 14 May 2025, when he loaded the goods onto the Sea Dragon Terawa bound for Phuket, Thailand. He was accompanied by five other ABKs — Richard Halomoan, Lea Candra Samosir, Hasiholan Samosir — and two Thai nationals, Teerapong Lekpradube and Weerepat Phongwan. The vessel carried 67 brown cardboard boxes wrapped in clear plastic; 66 boxes contained 30 packs of green tea brand Guanyinwang, each pack containing one narcotics item, and one box contained 20 packs of green tea. The contents included crystalline methamphetamine of the first category, with a net weight of 1,995,139 grams (nearly 2 tonnes). “I am just a newly joined deckhand; I could not possibly have the courage to ask questions. I had no rights, no authority, no courage, and no experience to analyse the situation at that time,” Fandi stated in his plea. Although not facing the death penalty, Fandi Ramadhan has not fully accepted the five-year sentence. The case drew widespread attention across Indonesia in early 2026. For context, he had been among those charged with smuggling nearly two tonnes of methamphetamine. See profile and complete chronology. Copyright @ 2026 Media Group - mediaindonesia.