Kitchen Spices Modus: Foreign Nationals in North Jakarta's Ancol Smuggle Vape Raw Material Etomidate from China
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - North Jakarta Metro Police have revealed that the etomidate vape raw material found in a kidnapping case in Ancol was imported from China using a courier service and camouflaged as kitchen spices.
Head of Narcotics Unit of North Jakarta Metro Police, AKBP Ari Galang Saputra, stated that the raw material was ordered by two individuals on the wanted list (DPO) with initials AF and AW, who are also foreign nationals.
“The role of these DPOs, which we have established, is that they are the main orderers of the raw material from China. It is then brought into Indonesia,” he said during a press conference at North Jakarta Metro Police Headquarters on Wednesday (13/5/2026).
Galang mentioned that the smuggling of the raw material was carried out through a courier service with a camouflage modus operandi to avoid detection.
“For the smuggling of the raw material, it was done using a courier. However, it was wrapped in plastic and camouflaged with kitchen spices,” he explained.
In addition, they seized a total of 842 etomidate vape cartridges ready for distribution from two different locations in North Jakarta.
“If we calculate, he sells one etomidate vape cartridge for around Rp 2.5 to 3 million. And if we combine them, there are approximately 842 cartridges worth more than Rp 2 billion,” he stated.
Meanwhile, CH is suspected under Article 119 Paragraph 2 of Law Number 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, as well as several articles in the Criminal Code related to the production and distribution of Group II narcotics.
“The penalty for the suspect is that anyone who without rights produces, imports, exports, or distributes Group 2 narcotics shall be imprisoned for a minimum of 4 years and a maximum of 12 years, and fined at least category 4, at most category 5,” Galang added.
The revelation began with the discovery of hundreds of etomidate vape cartridges at the location where a foreign national with initials CH (50) kidnapped a minor in Ancol, North Jakarta, on Saturday (25/4/2026).
Head of Narcotics Unit of North Jakarta Metro Police, AKBP Ari Galang Saputra, said that after finding hundreds of etomidate-filled vape cartridges at the kidnapping site, they developed leads to two other locations.