Prejudice of Online Motorcycle Taxi Driver Behind the Uncovering of Drug-Infused Vape Lab in Jakarta
A vape laboratory containing etomidate substance located in an apartment in East Jakarta was dismantled by police. The production of drug-infused vapes was exposed due to the suspicion of an online motorcycle taxi driver (ojol) who became wary of a package he was to deliver.
Thanks to the ojol driver’s suspicion, which he subsequently reported to the authorities, the package was successfully intercepted. Meanwhile, the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) responded swiftly to the report and followed it up in the field.
A team from the Narcotics Crime Directorate of Bareskrim Polri then conducted an undercover operation. One suspect was arrested, while another controlling suspect is still being hunted.
In this bust, Bareskrim Polri not only secured the perpetrators but also seized several cartridges containing etomidate, methamphetamine (sabu), and other evidence from the apartment in East Jakarta.
It all began with a suspicious ojol driver. The Director of Narcotics Crimes at Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, stated that the uncovering started from information provided by an online motorcycle taxi driver who suspected the contents of a package he was to deliver to an address.
“Feeling suspicious about the package he was to deliver, the individual came to Bareskrim Polri,” said Brigadier General Eko Hadi in his statement to reporters on Thursday (16/4).
Officers then conducted an X-ray examination of the package, confirming it indeed contained narcotics. The officers took the find and handed it over to Subdirectorate IV of the Narcotics Crime Directorate at Bareskrim Polri for further action.
“After checks and examination by Subdirectorate IV personnel, 13 black cartridges branded ‘MAFIA’ suspected to contain etomidate liquid and one clear packet suspected to contain sabu were found,” he said.
Police Disguised as Ojol
The find was then followed up by a joint team from Subdirectorate IV of the Narcotics Crime Directorate at Bareskrim Polri, led by Commissioner Handik Zusen, and the NIC Task Force of the Narcotics Crime Directorate at Bareskrim Polri, led by Commissioner Kevin Leleury, through controlled delivery and disguise as an online motorcycle taxi driver.
As per the delivery order, the package was delivered to Danau Cavalio, Pesanggrahan, South Jakarta. There, the police conducted surveillance for a while.
“Upon arriving near the Danau Cavalio location, the Subdirectorate IV team communicated with the package sender, who stated that a relative would pick up the package,” he added.
The Perpetrator Deceived the Ojol Driver
After waiting for some time, the perpetrator apparently used an online motorcycle taxi driver to receive the order. The ojol driver with initials R was then interrogated and admitted to receiving an order to deliver a package to a hotel on Jl Utan Kayu, Matraman, East Jakarta.
“Not long after, a witness with initials PP arrived to pick up the package, who was instructed by Suspect Ananda Wiratama,” he said.
The team then conducted a search and arrested suspect Ananda Wiratama at a rented house on Jalan Kayu Manis, Matraman, East Jakarta, in the early hours of Tuesday (14/4). The suspect admitted to having sent etomidate vape packages 37 times on the orders of Frendy Dona (DPO) to an apartment in Jakarta.
Findings of Drug Vapes in the Apartment
From the examination of the rented house of suspect Ananda, several pieces of evidence were obtained, including suspected sabu weighing 163.03 grams gross, ganja weighing 60.44 grams gross, and 21 cartridges suspected to contain etomidate.
The team then proceeded to an apartment in Pulogadung, East Jakarta, but suspect Frendy was not present in the apartment unit at that time. The team only found a witness with initials SM.
In the search of the East Jakarta apartment, the team found 0.7 grams of sabu, 25 empty ‘Mafia’ brand cartridges, 34 empty ‘Stone Island’ brand cartridges, 3 empty unmarked cartridges, 2 pressing tools, a digital scale, 117 ‘Mafia’ brand vape packets, 88 ‘Yakuza’ brand vape packets, 19 ‘Three’ brand vape packets, 1 ‘Supreme’ brand vape packet, and several other vapes of various brands.
Drug Controller Being Hunted
Currently, Bareskrim Polri is hunting Frendy Dona alias Fhoku, the controller of the clandestine etomidate vape lab in East Jakarta. Frendy is now on the wanted persons list (DPO).
“Frendy Dona, who acts as the controller of the etomidate clandestine lab in Jakarta,” said the Director of Narcotics Crimes at Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, in his statement to reporters on Wednesday (22/4).
The issuance of DPO status for Rendy is contained in the letter DPO/57/IV/2026/Narcotics Crime Directorate dated 16 April 2026. The letter was signed by the Head of Subdirectorate IV of the Narcotics Crime Directorate at Bareskrim Polri, Commissioner Handik Zusen, who is leading the investigation.
“Frendy Dona alias Fhoku is to be monitored/arrested/surrendered/informed of his whereabouts to the investigators/assisting investigators at the above police office, with phone numbers 082272274949 and 08121385050,” the DPO letter states.
Police have also released a photo of Frendy’s face, aged 38 years, height 165 cm, weight 60 kg. He is known to have straight black hair, slanted eyes, a prominent nose, and lips that are not too thick.