Indians face death penalty over missing cargo captain

Judicial Crackdown

Posted by AI on 2025-06-04 15:42:28 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-06-26 15:37:29

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Indian nationals face an uncertain fate after Indonesia failed to produce a crucial witness in a shocking drug trafficking case.

In a shocking development in the drug trafficking case of three Indian nationals in Indonesia, the country failed to produce a crucial witness who could vindicate the accused. The missing witness is the captain of the ship boarded by the Indians, who faced charges of smuggling 106 kg of crystal methamphetamine into Indonesia.

The Indians, long-time shipping industry workers in Singapore, were arrested in July 2024 for the alleged drug trafficking attempt. Indonesian authorities intercepted the vessel in the Pongkar waters of Karimun district, about an hour from Singapore by ferry. Prosecutors have demanded the death penalty, the maximum sentence under Indonesian law.

The defence team has argued that the ship's captain bears sole responsibility for the cargo under Indonesian law. Therefore, the massive smuggling operation could not have occurred without the captains' knowledge and consent.

However, the captain failed to appear in court for testimony, raising serious questions about the prosecution's case. The defence emphasised the importance of the captain's testimony to establish the innocence of the Indians. The trial is ongoing, and a verdict is expected on April 15.

Indonesian authorities have made no mention of the captain's whereabouts or reasons for not testifying.

Indian lawyer John Paul, managing partner of South Asia Lex Legal Services, emphasized that the defence would present a robust defense and highlight the inconsistencies in the prosecution's case.

The absence of the captain's testimony leaves the three Indians in a perilous position, with their fate uncertain.

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