Serang – In a significant development, the Serang District Court handed down the death penalty on Friday (27/10/2023) to eight Iranian nationals convicted of smuggling 319 kilograms of methamphetamine, commonly known as “sabu.”
Chief Judge Uli Purnama, leading the panel of judges, declared, “The defendants, Abdul Rahman Zardkuhi, Ayub Wafa Salak, Abdol Aziz Barri, Usman Damani, Shahab Syahraky, Wali Mohmmad Paro, Wahid Baluch Kari, and Amir Naderi, are hereby sentenced to death,” as reported by antaranews.com.
The verdict found all eight Iranians guilty of violating Article 114 2 in conjunction with Article 132 1 of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics. The illicit operation involved smuggling a substantial quantity of methamphetamine through the Indian Ocean towards Java Island, ultimately thwarted with their arrest at the Indah Kiat Port in Merak, Banten.
Amir Naderi, one of the convicts, previously faced a life sentence after disclosing the concealed drugs’ location on the vessel.
The court’s decision emphasized the defendants’ involvement in the professional smuggling of methamphetamine, portraying them as integral parts of an international network engaged in the illicit drug trade. Ronny Bona Tua Hutagalung, the prosecutor from the Cilegon District Attorney’s Office, remarked that the ruling represented the maximum level of punishment. This case underscores the severity with which Indonesia addresses drug-related offenses, particularly those with international ramifications.