Chennai: 

The vessel had 10 crew members, including an Indonesian captain, along with three Tamil Nadu natives—Raji Muthukumaran, Govindaswamy Vimalakanthan from Cuddalore, and Selvadurai Dinakaran from Nagapattinam. The three claimed they were travelling for tourism, but Indonesian authorities accused them of drug smuggling and arrested them. Under Indonesian law, drug trafficking is punishable by death.

The Indian Embassy in Indonesia has stepped in to assist three Tamil Nadu natives facing the death penalty in Indonesia for allegedly smuggling 106 kg of methamphetamine via a Singaporean cargo ship.

According to an Indian Foreign Ministry official, Indonesian authorities intercepted the vessel Legend Aquarius in the Bongar Sea while it was en route from Singapore to Australia in 2024. Acting on intelligence, the Indonesian National Narcotics Control Unit boarded the ship and found 106 kg of methamphetamine.

The case was brought before the Kerimun Court, where international maritime law expert Solomon Ponto and Indian lawyer M. John Paul argued that the Tamil men had been falsely implicated. They emphasized that it was highly unlikely for such a large quantity of drugs to be smuggled without the ship captain’s knowledge. The court has now summoned the captain to appear on March 11.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy has advised the families of the accused to contact them for legal assistance. The intervention has given hope to the three men and their families as they await further legal proceedings.

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