An Indonesian man has been sentenced to life imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane by the High Court after being found guilty of attempting to smuggle more than one kilogram of methamphetamine out of Malaysia by concealing the drugs on his body.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Steve Ritikos imposed the sentence on 40-year-old Amriadi after ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt at the end of the defence stage.
In his judgment, the judge said the court took into account the fact that the accused was arrested while attempting to leave Malaysia, demonstrating a deliberate willingness to break the country’s laws despite knowing he would have to pass through security checks at the Tawau Ferry Terminal.
Amriadi, a farmer from South Sulawesi and father of one daughter, was charged with trafficking 1,078.9 grammes of methamphetamine at the passenger inspection area of the Tawau Ferry Terminal at about 9.45am on Oct 11, 2024.
He was charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act, which provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment and, where the death sentence is not imposed, a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
During the trial, which began on March 10, the prosecution called five witnesses, while the defence relied solely on the testimony of the accused.
In mitigation, defence counsel Jhesseny P Kang told the court that Amriadi was a first-time offender who had previously worked as a farmer but was now unemployed following his arrest.
The lawyer said his client had expressed remorse and asked the court to impose a lighter sentence, citing the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023, which gives judges discretion to impose either the death penalty or life imprisonment in certain cases.
He also argued that recent sentencing trends have shown courts increasingly opting for prison terms instead of capital punishment.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Nisla Abd Latif urged the court to impose a severe sentence, arguing that the large quantity of drugs seized remained a significant aggravating factor.
She submitted that the public interest outweighed the personal circumstances of the accused and that a deterrent sentence was necessary to combat drug trafficking.
According to the facts of the case, Amriadi was arrested while preparing to board a ferry from Tawau Ferry Terminal to Nunukan, Indonesia.
A body search revealed that he was wearing a black abdominal support belt and women’s underwear in which five packets of methamphetamine had been concealed. Additional packets of the drug were also discovered hidden inside the soles of his shoes.
