Etomidate trafficking dominates drug seizures at Tanjung Priok Police

Jakarta - The circulation of the narcotic Etomidate has emerged as the most prominent case in a series of drug seizures conducted by the Tanjung Priok Port Police from January to June 2026. “From several drug seizures during the January to June 2026 period, there are a number of prominent cases, among them the seizure of Etomidate,” said Tanjung Priok Port Police Chief AKBP Aris Wibowo at the police headquarters in North Jakarta on Friday. The Tanjung Priok Port Police recorded total seizures of narcotics and dangerous drugs worth approximately IDR 37 billion from the resolution of 58 cases throughout January to June 2026. Of that total, significant attention was focused on the successful dismantling of an Etomidate network in stages, leading to the confiscation of thousands of pieces of evidence and the arrest of several suspects believed to be connected within a single trafficking network. Evidence seized included 3,201.56 gross grammes of methamphetamine, 5,529 Etomidate units, 55.35 gross grammes of cannabis, 15.2 gross grammes of synthetic tobacco, 25,000 ecstasy pills, and 1,206 pills of various dangerous drugs such as Eximer, Tramadol, Trihexyphenidyl, Calmlet, Merlopam, Alprazolam, and Riklona. Police uncovered the Etomidate network gradually through a series of investigations led by the Narcotics Investigation Unit. The investigation led to three suspects with the initials RB, MR, and WT. In this case, police seized 5,095 Etomidate units suspected to be part of the same trafficking network. The investigation did not stop there; officers further developed the case and managed to secure another suspect with the initials AS along with 100 Etomidate units as evidence. In addition to the Etomidate network, the Narcotics Investigation Unit of the Tanjung Priok Port Police also successfully uncovered large-scale methamphetamine trafficking. The initial seizure was made from a suspect with the initials SM in the Sunter Agung area, Tanjung Priok, with evidence weighing 968 gross grammes of methamphetamine. Following examination and further development, police subsequently arrested two more suspects with the initials BH and FN in the West Jakarta area, seizing methamphetamine evidence weighing 2,072.17 gross grammes. According to Aris, all suspects are charged under various applicable legal provisions, including Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 17 of 2023 on Health, and Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1 of 2026 on Criminal Adjustments. “The criminal penalties imposed on the suspects average a minimum of five years’ imprisonment up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty, depending on their role and the evidence found,” said Aris. Police estimate that all the evidence successfully seized during the January to June 2026 period could save approximately 67,000 lives from the potential dangers of drug abuse had these illicit substances circulated within the community.