Police Admit Difficulty Monitoring Etomidate Drug Circulation in Jakarta

The Metro Jaya Regional Police Narcotics Directorate has admitted to difficulties in preventing the circulation of the new type of narcotic, etomidate, in Jakarta. One of the main obstacles is the concealment methods used by perpetrators in distributing the illicit substance. Director of Narcotics at Metro Jaya Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Ahmad David, stated that the distribution of etomidate is carried out meticulously and covertly, making it hard for law enforcement to detect. “The distribution is certainly done with disguise, so it’s not easy to monitor by law enforcement,” David said during a press conference at Metro Jaya Regional Police headquarters on Wednesday (8/4/2026). The substance can be packaged in liquid or powder form, making it easy to disguise among various items. “It can be in liquid or powder form,” he added. According to him, the flexible form allows etomidate to be smuggled using various methods, including mixing or packaging to resemble other products, such as vape liquid. Additionally, upon its initial appearance, etomidate was not yet classified as a narcotic in Indonesia. This situation was exploited by syndicates to distribute the substance without easy legal repercussions. “At that time, it wasn’t classified as a drug in our country. So, it was very difficult to enforce the law back then,” David explained. “Regarding etomidate, the distribution of the illicit goods to the public, which became widespread, initially came from outside. From our neighboring regions in Thailand and Malaysia,” David stated. Furthermore, David mentioned that the misuse of etomidate in vape cartridge form is one of the three most prominent cases in the last three months. He explained that from January to March 2026, there were 42 etomidate-related cases uncovered. One of the largest revelations occurred in January 2026 at the Green Bay Pluit Apartment in North Jakarta, involving a Chinese national with initials HW.