Soetta Airport Police Uncover Three Global Etomidate Smuggling Cases, Seize Evidence Worth Rp 97 Billion

The Narcotics Investigation Unit of the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police (Polresta Soetta) has uncovered three cases involving the distribution of Category II narcotic etomidate linked to international networks between February and May 2026. Police arrested four foreign nationals and seized a total of 8,600 millilitres of liquid etomidate with an estimated value of around Rp 97.8 billion.

Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Wisnu Wardana, stated that the discoveries were made possible through the synergy between the Narcotics Unit and Soekarno-Hatta Customs in monitoring international passenger traffic.

“These discoveries show that Soekarno-Hatta Airport remains a target for international narcotics networks attempting to bring etomidate into Indonesia. Thanks to cooperation with Customs, all smuggling attempts were successfully thwarted,” Wisnu said on Tuesday (23/6/2026).

He noted that uncovering these three cases has the potential to save approximately 55,928 lives from drug abuse. He emphasised that supervision will continue to be strengthened with relevant agencies to prevent the entry of narcotics from international networks via air routes.

“We urge the public and all airport service users to actively provide information if they become aware of any drug distribution so that it can be followed up immediately,” Wisnu added.

Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police Narcotics Unit, AKP Michael Kharisma Tandayu, explained that from the three cases, police secured four suspects: TN, a Singaporean national; CT, a Malaysian national; JZ, a Chinese national; and SP, a Thai national.

“They were arrested in three separate disclosure cases,” he said.

According to Michael, the total etomidate seized across the three cases amounted to approximately 8,600 ml, with an estimated economic value of Rp 97.87 billion.

“The evidence could potentially be processed into nearly 14,000 vape cartridges containing etomidate,” Michael stated.

In the first case, on 21 May 2026, officers at Terminal 2F International Arrivals inspected the luggage of TN and CT, who had arrived from Malaysia on an AirAsia flight. Inside TN’s red suitcase, officers found two silver plastic packages containing 2,000 ml of etomidate, while CT’s silver suitcase contained two bottles labelled “Dove” holding another 2,000 ml. The total 4,000 ml of etomidate seized was valued at Rp 47.47 billion. The suspects claimed they were instructed by an individual identified as DN, who is now on the wanted list. TN was promised SGD 3,000, while CT was offered a free holiday to Indonesia.

The second case occurred on 25 May 2026, when a Chinese national, JZ, was apprehended at Terminal 2F after arriving from Thailand. A search of his black suitcase revealed a bottle labelled “Dove” containing 500 ml of etomidate hidden in a plastic bag. JZ claimed he was ordered by a person identified as HC, also now a fugitive, to transport the narcotic from Thailand to Jakarta. He was promised 50,000 Yuan. The seized substance was valued at Rp 5.6 billion.

The third case took place on 26 February 2026 at Terminal 3 International Arrivals. SP, a Thai national arriving from Bangkok, was found carrying seven bottles of etomidate disguised as everyday products in his black suitcase. Three bottles were labelled “Parrot” and four were labelled “Coconut Oil”, containing a total of 4,100 ml of the liquid narcotic. SP claimed he was instructed by an individual identified as SS, who remains at large, and was promised 80,000 Baht. The evidence was valued at Rp 44.8 billion.