PN Batam Sentences Life Imprisonment for Thai National ABK

Batam - The Batam District Court, Riau Islands, sentenced a Sea Dragon Terawa crew member (ABK) who is a Thai citizen, Weerepat Phongwan, to life imprisonment in the case of smuggling methamphetamine with a weight of almost 2 tons.

"Imprisoning the defendant Weerapat Phongwan for life," said the Chairman of the Panel of Judges Tiwik at the Batam PN, Friday, March 6, reported by ANTARA.

In its decision, the panel of judges stated that Weerapat Phongwan was legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing a crime of evil collusion without rights or against the law, having become an intermediary in the sale and purchase of narcotics of group 1 non-heavy plants weighing more than 5 grams as in the public prosecutor's primary indictment.

The verdict of the panel of judges was lighter than the demands of the Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the Batam District Attorney's Office, who had previously demanded the death penalty for the six defendants in the case.

Previously on Thursday (5/3), the panel of judges sentenced Fandi Ramadhan to five years in prison.

The decision of the panel of judges has considered the demands of the JPU and the defense from the defendant's legal advisor, witness testimony and also experts, as well as evidence in the form of 67 brown cardboard boxes wrapped in clear plastic.

The details, 66 cartons each containing 30 packs of green-colored Chinese tea packaging plastic bags of the Guanyinwang brand, which contained one pack of methamphetamine.

Meanwhile, another cardboard containing 20 plastic bags of Chinese tea packaging in green color containing a crystal powder of the I class narcotic.

The total net weight of evidence amounted to 1,995,139 grams or almost 2 tons.

As for the aggravating matters, that the amount of narcotics almost reached 2 tons which was feared that if it approached the territory of Indonesia it would damage the future of the nation's generation, the defendant did not support the government's program in combating the illicit circulation of narcotics.

In its decision, the panel of judges noted Article 114 Paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 132 Paragraph (1) of Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics.

After reading the verdict, the panel of judges invited the defendant and his lawyer and the prosecutor to give their impressions.

In response to the verdict, Weerapat's lawyer said he would appeal the ruling.

Then, the JPU stated that it was still considering the attitude towards the decision of the panel of judges.