In an incident of smuggling 319 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine into Indonesia, eight Iranian citizens have been sentenced to death.
The verdict was delivered at the Serang District Court on Friday, the 27th October 2023, with Uli Purnama presiding over the proceedings. Purnama firmly declared that the eight defendants had been legally and convincingly found guilty of violating Article 114, subsection (2), in conjunction with Article 132, subsection (1), of the Republic of Indonesia Law No. 35 of 2009 regarding Narcotics.
The panel of judges took turns reading out the verdicts for the defendants, aided by a language interpreter. In front of the defendants, who were accompanied by their attorney, Herbet Marbun, Purnama stated, “The defendant is hereby sentenced to the death penalty.”
The judge emphasised that the severity of the defendant’s actions lay in the professional nature of their attempt to smuggle crystal meth into Indonesia, which contradicted the government’s anti-narcotics trafficking initiatives.
In response to the decision, the eight defendants, represented by their legal counsel, conceded that they were contemplating further legal action. Earlier, during the prosecution trial, the Cilegon Public Prosecutor’s Office had sought the death penalty for seven defendants, while one defendant received a life sentence.
The joint efforts of the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency and Customs and Excise successfully thwarted an international network’s scheme to smuggle 319 kilograms of crystal meth into Indonesia. Eight Iranian citizens, who were crew members, were apprehended in the waters of the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, the 22nd February 2023.
Delapan warga Iran Penyelundup sabu 319 kg dijatuhi hukuman mati oleh majelis hakim Pengadilan Negeri (PN) Serang , Jumat (27/10/2023). pic.twitter.com/J4hLHVz2Qw
— Lulu Jamaludin (@LhouJhe) October 27, 2023