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Indonesia Repatriates Two Dutch Drug Convicts, Including Former Death-Row Inmate

07:39 PM, 12/08/2025
Indonesia Repatriates Two Dutch Drug Convicts, Including Former Death-Row Inmate

Indonesia repatriated two Dutch nationals convicted of drug trafficking on Monday, including 74-year-old Siegfried Mets who had been on death row. Both men were handed over in Jakarta and will complete their sentences in the Netherlands after Dutch humanitarian requests. Officials said both were receiving medical care at the time of transfer. The move forms part of a series of bilateral prisoner transfers under President Prabowo Subianto's administration.

Indonesia on Monday repatriated two Dutch nationals convicted of drug trafficking, handing them over to Dutch authorities at a Jakarta prison before an evening flight home. The transfer followed a bilateral agreement and a Dutch request on humanitarian grounds.

Who Was Returned

Siegfried Mets, 74, had been on death row after his conviction in a case involving the shipment of 600,000 ecstasy pills from the Netherlands to Indonesia. He had been detained in Jakarta since February 2008. Ali Tokman, 65, was arrested at Surabaya airport in December 2014 after customs discovered just over 6 kilograms of brown MDMA; he has served 11 years of a life sentence.

Health, Humanitarian Grounds and Next Steps

At the handover both men wore baseball caps and bright green T-shirts and were reported to be receiving medical treatment. Indonesian officials said the Netherlands requested their return on humanitarian grounds. Indonesia's deputy minister for immigration and correctional coordination, I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, said the two will serve the remainder of their sentences in the Netherlands.

Broader Context

Under President Prabowo Subianto's administration, Indonesia has reached bilateral agreements to transfer a number of foreign prisoners back to their home countries to complete sentences, including cases that previously faced the death penalty. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime notes that, despite strict domestic laws, Indonesia remains a significant transit hub for illicit drugs, with international trafficking networks often targeting its young population.

Data from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections indicate roughly 530 people are on death row in Indonesia, most for drug-related offenses, including nearly 100 foreign nationals. Indonesia's most recent executions — one citizen and three foreigners — occurred in July 2016.

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