Indonesian prosecutor apologises after controversial death penalty demand in major drug case

An Indonesian public prosecutor apologised to lawmakers on Wednesday, 11 March, following controversy over remarks made during the trial of a sailor accused in a major drug smuggling case involving nearly two tonnes of crystal methamphetamine.

The Batam court later sentenced the defendant to five years in prison.

Muhammad Arfian, a prosecutor at the Batam District Prosecutor’s Office, issued the apology during a hearing with Commission III of Indonesia’s House of Representatives, which oversees legal affairs.

“I, the public prosecutor Muhammad Arfian, would like to express our most sincere and deepest apology for our mistake in yesterday’s trial,” Arfian told the hearing. “It will be a matter of evaluation for us going forward.”

The case has drawn public attention after prosecutors previously sought the death penalty for the defendant, Fandi Ramadhan, a young sailor working aboard the vessel Sea Dragon.

Internal disciplinary action

Arfian told lawmakers he had undergone an internal investigation by the Attorney General’s Office supervisory division (Jamwas) and had been found at fault.

“We have been examined and declared guilty by Jamwas and have been given disciplinary punishment,” he said.

The apology was related to statements Arfian made while reading a prosecutorial rebuttal during the trial at Batam District Court, in which he suggested there had been interference from lawmakers and public figures.

Priandi Firdaus, head of intelligence at the Batam District Prosecutor’s Office, said the apology aimed to clarify those remarks rather than withdraw the prosecutors’ legal demand.

“The apology was intended to clarify the prosecutor’s statement during the rebuttal reading at Batam District Court,” Priandi said. “We apologise if the statement caused misunderstanding.”

He added that the prosecutor’s office respected parliament’s oversight role and remained committed to “professional, objective law enforcement while upholding the principles of independence and accountability.”

Parliament response

Commission III chairman Habiburokhman said lawmakers accepted the apology and urged prosecutors to treat the episode as a lesson.

“We forgive him and hope that as a young prosecutor he can learn from this and become wiser going forward,” he said during the hearing.

Habiburokhman also rejected suggestions that the commission had interfered in the judicial process, saying parliament was only carrying out its constitutional oversight role.

Court spares sailor from death penalty

The controversy followed a ruling by the Batam District Court on 5 March, which sentenced Fandi Ramadhan to five years in prison for his role in a smuggling case involving around 1.9 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine, locally known as sabu.

Presiding judge Tiwik said the court had found Fandi legally and convincingly guilty of participating in a criminal conspiracy to distribute more than five grams of Class I narcotics.

“Sentencing must be a corrective and educative tool, not a mere retribution,” the judge said in the ruling, explaining why the court did not impose the death penalty as requested by prosecutors.

The panel cited mitigating factors including the defendant’s young age and the principles of rehabilitative justice in Indonesia’s 2023 Criminal Code.

Commission III chairman Habiburokhman welcomed the verdict, saying the ruling reflected the approach under the new criminal code.

“Regarding the five-year sentence to Fandi Ramadhan, we are grateful that the panel of judges did not impose the death penalty as demanded by the public prosecutor,” he said, as quoted by VOI.

He added that under the new criminal code, the death penalty is not a primary punishment and should only be applied as a last resort.

Family maintains defendant was unaware

During a separate parliamentary hearing on 26 February, Fandi’s mother, Nirwana, told lawmakers that her son had initially been unaware the vessel was carrying illegal drugs.

She said he began to suspect something was wrong several days into the voyage after another boat transferred dozens of boxes onto their ship.

“My son only followed orders because he had just started working,” she said. “After three days at sea, a fishing boat approached and transferred goods. He felt uneasy.”

According to Nirwana, Fandi later asked the captain about the cargo but was told the boxes contained “money and gold”.

She also told lawmakers that Fandi had refused an order from the captain to remove the ship’s flag shortly before the vessel was intercepted by Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency and customs officers near Tanjung Karimun waters.

Nirwana urged lawmakers to ensure her son received fair legal protection as the case proceeded.

Claims of deception

Throughout the proceedings, Fandi's family maintained his innocence, claiming he was a victim of deception by the ship’s captain, Hasiholan Samosir.

During a parliamentary hearing on 26 February, the sailor’s mother told lawmakers that her son only became suspicious three days into the voyage after a fishing boat transferred boxes onto the ship in the middle of the sea. 

According to local media report, Fandi’s father, Sulaiman, claimed his son questioned the cargo but was told by the captain it contained "money and gold". The defence argued that as a subordinate engine-room worker, Fandi had no authority over the ship’s cargo or route.

Background of the drug seizure

The case stems from one of Indonesia’s largest drug seizures in recent years. Authorities from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and customs officers intercepted the Thai-flagged tanker Sea Dragon in the waters of the Riau Islands on 21 May 2025.

Officers later discovered about 1.9 tonnes of methamphetamine hidden in 67 boxes disguised as Chinese tea packages aboard the vessel. The ship was believed to have been travelling from Thailand and was suspected of transporting the drugs as part of a cross-border trafficking operation.

Six crew members — four Indonesians and two Thai nationals — were arrested in connection with the case. Prosecutors said the defendants were part of an international smuggling network and initially sought the death penalty for all of them because of the scale of the trafficking operation.

Indonesia’s narcotics law allows the death penalty for certain drug offences, including trafficking large quantities of Class I narcotics such as methamphetamine.

Court verdicts for other defendants

The Batam District Court has since handed down varying sentences to the defendants involved in the case.

According to local media reports, the ship’s captain, Hasiholan Samosir, and crew member Richard Halomoan Tambunan were sentenced to life imprisonment. Another crew member, Leo Chandra Samosir, received a 15-year prison term, while two Thai nationals involved in the case were sentenced to 17 years and life imprisonment respectively.

Presiding judge Tiwik said the court had found Fandi legally and convincingly guilty of participating in a criminal conspiracy to distribute more than five grams of Class I narcotics.

The judges said the ruling was based on Article 114(2) in conjunction with Article 132(1) of Indonesia’s 2009 Narcotics Law, which covers conspiracy to distribute more than five grams of Class I narcotics.

Judges said the defendants’ actions had undermined the government’s efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and caused public concern, given the large quantity of drugs involved.

The court also considered several mitigating factors for some defendants, including their conduct during the trial and personal circumstances, when determining the final sentences.