Bandung Instagram celebrity arrested over liquid ketamine cartridges

The Cimahi Police have arrested a 30-year-old Instagram celebrity from Bandung with the initials GA on suspicion of distributing liquid ketamine in cartridge form, known as ‘potgar’, across the Greater Bandung area. Cimahi Deputy Police Chief Kompol Zulkarnaen said on Wednesday that the uncovering of the ketamine cartridge distribution case was the first successfully revealed by police in West Java. ‘This is the third case that has attracted public attention, namely the arrest of a Bandung Instagram celebrity with the initials GA. This is the first case in West Java,’ he said. Liquid ketamine is a liquid preparation of the substance ketamine, an anaesthetic legally used in medicine and veterinary practice for the induction and maintenance of anaesthesia. Meanwhile, ‘potgar’ is an abbreviation of ‘pod bergetar’ (vibrating pod), a term describing electronic cigarettes that have been misused. Physically, the device is the same as a regular vape, but the liquid has been filled with dangerous substances, including narcotics or psychotropic drugs. According to Zulkarnaen, GA allegedly played a role in distributing ketamine cartridges by using AM as a courier or rider to deliver the goods to buyers. In uncovering the case, police seized evidence including 15 millilitres of ketamine liquid and five cartridge containers suspected of being used in the distribution activity. Zulkarnaen said the goods were obtained from a supplier in Jakarta who is currently being pursued and has been placed on the wanted list. Based on preliminary investigation results, the two suspects had conducted ketamine distribution transactions three times since the beginning of 2026. He added that the suspect bought the goods from Jakarta for Rp4 million and resold them in the Greater Bandung area, earning a profit of around Rp1 million to Rp2 million. Deputy Police Chief Zulkarnaen also said GA not only used but also distributed the substance to several areas across Greater Bandung, including the city of Cimahi. Currently, both suspects are still undergoing investigation, while police continue to develop the case to uncover the supplier network in Jakarta.