"We sentence the defendant, M. Alfarisi, to death," declared Presiding Judge Frans Effendi Manurung, accompanied by Judges Cipto Hosari Nababan and Vera Yetti Magdalena, at Medan District Court.
Alfarisi, a resident of Lhokseumawe, Aceh Province, was convicted of transporting Class I non-plant narcotics exceeding five grams — violating Article 114(2) of the Narcotics Law No. 35/2009 and Article 55(1) of the Criminal Code.
The judges cited aggravating factors, noting that Alfarisi’s actions undermined state efforts against drug trafficking, threatened public safety, and endangered young people. No mitigating circumstances were identified.
Alfarisi has seven days to decide whether to accept the verdict or file an appeal.
Prosecutors from the Belawan District Attorney’s Office had sought the death penalty, charging that Alfarisi agreed to deliver the ecstasy for Rp30 million.
He was arrested on December 21, 2024, after accepting a bag of pills from an accomplice. Police seized 4,833 tablets weighing nearly 1.9 kilograms.
In June, the Medan District Court also sentenced four men to death for trafficking 40 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. Presiding Judge Phillip Mark Soentpiet delivered the verdict on June 25, 2025, in line with the prosecution’s demand.
The court imposed the death penalty on Benyamin Sembiring, 39; Puji Minarto Nasution, 40; Senta Sitepu, 40; and Sahrial, 36.
Indonesia remains a lucrative market for drug traffickers, driven by its large population and millions of users. The country’s drug trade is valued at an estimated Rp66 trillion (USD 4.3 billion).
A survey by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) estimates that 3.4 million Indonesians use drugs. The survey found that about 180 out of every 10,000 Indonesians aged 15 to 64 are addicted.
North Sumatra ranks as the third most vulnerable province for drug-related crimes, with an estimated 3.06 percent of its population using drugs, according to BNN.
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Translator: M.Said, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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