Two-ton meth case: Batam court sentences Thai crew member to life imprisonment

Batam (ANTARA) - The Batam District Court, in the Riau Islands, handed down a life sentence to the seaman (ABK) of Sea Dragon Terawa, Thai national Weerapat Phongwan, in the case of smuggling narcotics of the type sabu weighing nearly 2 tonnes. ‘Life imprisonment for the defendant Weerapat Phongwan,’ said Chief Judge Tiwik of the Batam District Court, on Friday. In its decision, the panel found Weerapat Phongwan proven beyond reasonable doubt to have conspired unlawfully and acted as an intermediary in the sale and purchase of Class I narcotics not derived from plants with a weight exceeding 5 grams as described in the primar y indictment by the public prosecutor. The sentence is lighter than the public prosecutor’s demand (JPU) from the Batam State Prosecutor’s Office, who previously sought the death penalty for six defendants in the case. Earlier on Thursday (5/3), the panel had sentenced Fandi Ramadhan to five years’ imprisonment. The court’s decision took into account the prosecutor’s demands as well as the defence’s arguments, witness and expert testimonies, and the evidence including 67 brown cartons wrapped in clear plastic. Specifically, 66 cartons each contained 30 plastic sachets of green tea packaging of the Chinese brand Guanyinwang, inside which was one sachet of sabu narcotics; one additional carton contained 20 sachets of green tea packaging containing crystalline narcotics of Class I. The total net weight of the evidence reached 1,995,139 grams, or almost 2 tonnes. The aggravating factors include the large quantity of narcotics approaching 2 tonnes, which could threaten Indonesia’s future if close to its territory, and the defendant did not support government programmes to combat illicit drug circulation. In delivering the decision, the panel referred to Article 114(2) in conjunction with Article 132(1) of Law Number 35 of 2009 on Narcotics. After reading the verdict, the panel permitted the defendant, his counsel, and the public prosecutor to respond. In response, the defendant’s attorney stated they would pursue an appeal. The public prosecutor said they are still considering their position on the verdict.