Thai national crew member on 2-ton meth-smuggling vessel sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment
A Thai national who was an ABK (crew) of the Sea Dragon vessel, Teerapong Lekpradub, was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment by the Batam District Court in the Riau Islands (Kepri) in a case involving the smuggling of 2 tonnes of methamphetamine. The verdict on Friday night (6 March) contrasted with that of another Thai national, Weerapat Phongwan, who on Thursday afternoon (5 March) was sentenced to life imprisonment by the panel of judges. The trial was led by Chief Judge Tiwik, with associate judges Douglas Napitupulu and Randi.
“The defendant Teerapong Lekpradub is hereby sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment,” Chief Judge Tiwik said while reading the final verdict. In the ruling, the panel found Teerapong Lekpradub proven beyond reasonable doubt to have been involved in narcotics offences within an international trafficking network. However, the court did not agree with the prosecutor’s demand for the death penalty, and imposed a 17-year term instead.
The panel cited several considerations in its decision. The principal aggravating factor was the enormous quantity of methamphetamine, nearly two tonnes, which the judges noted is very large and could damage the nation’s future if circulated in Indonesia. Mitigating factors for the defendant included his polite behaviour during the proceedings, no prior convictions, and his relatively young age, which leaves him the opportunity to reform in the future.
After the verdict was delivered, the panel gave the defendant an opportunity to state his position. Through his legal counsel, Teerapong said he would appeal the decision. The prosecutor, who had previously sought the death penalty, said he would deliberate while awaiting the official copy of the panel’s verdict.
The defence counsel, Jefri Wahyudi, previously argued that his client’s role was not dominant in the case. He said Teerapong was recruited by another Thai defendant, Weerapat Phongwan, to work on the Sea Dragon Tarawa for a month with a salary of around Rp25 million. He also noted that a mobile phone examination showed no communications with the ship’s captain or with the alleged drug-trafficking boss named Tanzen.
“The defendant’s phone was clean; there was no communication with the captain or with the boss,” Jefri told reporters at Batam District Court. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that his client had received some laminated cash during the transfer of goods from a fishing vessel to the Sea Dragon, a detail that the panel considered as part of the evidence.
The 2-tonne drug-smuggling case involves several other defendants. Earlier, Indonesian defendant Fandi Ramadhan, who had also faced a death sentence, was sentenced to five years by the panel. The verdicts for other defendants—Richard Halomoan Tambunan, Leo Candra Samosir, and Hasiholan Samosir—are scheduled for next week at Batam District Court.