An Indonesian court sentenced two Thai nationals to prison terms for smuggling nearly two tons of methamphetamine, one of the largest drug busts in years. The verdicts were announced on Friday in Batam, Riau Islands.
Weerapat Phongwan received a life sentence for acting as an intermediary and overseeing drug distribution, according to the judge. Teerapong Lekpradub was jailed for 17 years for facilitating the sale and purchase of the drugs.
The suspects, along with four Indonesians, were arrested in May last year after their fishing boat was found carrying 67 boxes of meth, weighing nearly 2 tons. The drugs were wrapped in tea bags, video footage from police showed.
The arrests occurred in the waters of Karimun, near Singapore. On Thursday, another defendant, Fandi Ramadhan, was sentenced to five years in prison. The court will issue verdicts for the remaining three defendants next week.
The case drew attention on social media after Ramadhan’s family appealed to President Prabowo Subianto for intervention. Prosecutors described the motion as an appeal for clemency.
Authorities said the drugs were smuggled from Phuket, Thailand, and are believed to come from an international network operating in Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, according to local media reports.
Indonesia maintains strict drug laws; in 2015 it carried out the execution of two Australians linked to the Bali Nine drug ring for heroin trafficking.
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