3 Indians face death penalty for smuggling 106 Kg meth into Indonesia
Indonesian authorities arrested three Indian nationals in July 2024 for smuggling 106 kg of crystal meth aboard a Singapore-flagged vessel. Raju Muthukumaran, 38, Selvadurai Dinakaran, 34, and Govindhasamy Vimalkandhan, 45, all from Tamil Nadu, now face the death penalty.
Acting on a tip-off, officials intercepted the Legend Aquarius cargo ship in Pongkar waters, near Karimun district, about an hour from Singapore. Prosecutors demand the maximum penalty under Indonesian law, while the defense insists on their innocence.
The trial faced a major setback on March 14 when the vessel captain, a key witness, failed to appear in court. The judge had ordered him to testify in person, but he only made a brief appearance via Zoom, preventing cross-examination. The defense argues that his testimony is critical to proving their clients’ innocence.
Indian lawyer John Paul, managing partner of South Asia Lex Legal Services, leads the defense team alongside Indonesian firm Bambang Supriadi & Partners. Paul remains focused on exposing inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case.
To support their claims, the defense called retired Indonesian Navy officer and international maritime law expert Soleman B. Ponto as a witness. On February 25, Soleman testified that Indonesian law holds the ship’s captain solely responsible for all cargo on board. The defense argues that smuggling such a large drug haul without the captain’s knowledge is unlikely.
Defense lawyer Yan Apridho asserted, “We firmly believe the real perpetrators have been set free.” He emphasized that crucial evidence and expert testimonies are still being presented. The captain’s absence, he said, raises serious doubts about the prosecution’s case.
The trial continues, with a verdict expected on April 15. Meanwhile, at a press conference in Batam on July 17, 2024, Indonesian National Narcotic Agency chief Marthinus Hukom accused the three men of owning the drugs and commissioning the smuggling operation.
As the legal battle unfolds, the fate of the accused remains uncertain, with their lives hanging in the balance.
