Kepri Police Disrupt the Circulation of 353 Pieces of Etomidate Vape in Batam

BATAM - The Riau Islands Police has again thwarted the circulation of 353 pieces of liquid cartridges for electric cigarettes (vapes) containing the narcotic substance etomidate in the city of Batam.

Head of Public Relations of the North Sumatra Police, Kombes Nona Pricilia Ohei, said the etomidate vape came from Malaysia.

"The evidence of etomidate vape came from Malaysia. It was brought in by three perpetrators with initials SU, LI, and RO," said Nona as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, February 12.

Hundreds of pieces of etomidate vape were brought by the perpetrator by storing them in the clothes the perpetrator was wearing when crossing from Malaysia to Batam through Harbour Bay Port.

"The perpetrator tied this etomidate package to his body to deceive the officers," he said.

However, thanks to the alertness of customs officers and investigators from Subdit III of the Narcotics Division of the North Sumatra Police, they managed to thwart the smuggling attempt.

Meanwhile, the Head of Operations (Kabag Bidops) of the Riau Islands Police Narcotics Division, Kompol Felix Mauk, said that the 353 etomidate vape smugglers who were arrested were still in the same network as the etomidate vape smugglers in 2025.

"For the disclosure of the etomidate case in 2026, this is an expansion of the etomidate case in the previous year (2025 - ed) which was handled by sub-directorate III," he said.

The police, he said, have sources of information on the network that distributes etomidate vape so that they can enforce the law whenever there is movement.

"So from our information sources we continue to maintain, when they carry out activities we work together with stakeholders such as Customs to analyze the departure of perpetrators to Malaysia, then secured at the port," said Felix.

Based on the Minister of Health Regulation (Permenkes) Number 15 of 2025 concerning the Change in the Classification of Narcotics. And Permenkes Number 14 of 2025 concerning the Determination and Change in the Classification of Psychotropic Substances, explains that etomidate is included in the type of narcotic of class II.

During 2026, the Kepri Police have thwarted two times the circulation of etomidate vape. The first was on January 22 with 43 pieces brought by a suspect with the initials MA alias M (38).

Meanwhile, during 2025, the Kepri Police Narcotics Division has taken action against the circulation of etomidate with 5,918 pieces.