Vape Narcotics Dealer Sentenced to 4.5 Years in Bali
The panel of judges at the Denpasar District Court (PN) has sentenced Rusli Wisanto alias Kris, the defendant in a case involving the circulation of 672 vape cartridges containing the narcotic etomidate, to four years and six months, or 4.5 years, in prison.
The panel, chaired by Sayuti, found Rusli legally and convincingly guilty of unlawfully selling or acting as an intermediary in the trade of Category II narcotics weighing more than 5 grams, as charged in the first alternative indictment.
“We sentence the defendant Rusli Wisanto alias Kris to four years and six months in prison and a fine of Rp 800 million,” Sayuti said while reading out the verdict on Wednesday (5/8/2026).
The judge stated that if the fine is not paid within one month, the defendant’s assets or income will be seized and auctioned to settle the fine.
“If the seizure and auction of those assets or income is insufficient or cannot be carried out, the unpaid fine will be replaced with 170 days of imprisonment,” he continued.
The sentence is two years and six months lighter than the demand of the public prosecutor. Previously, prosecutors had sought a seven-year prison term for Rusli, less time already served, along with a fine of Rp 800 million, subsidised by 170 days’ imprisonment.
In this case, Rusli was arrested by officers of the Bali National Narcotics Agency (BNNP) on 7 February 2026 at his home on Jalan Kertadalem Sari I Gang Gatep, Sidakarya, South Denpasar.
From the search and follow-up investigation, officers found a total of 672 vape cartridges containing liquid with etomidate, with a total weight of 5,233.2 grams gross or 1,410.5 grams net, equivalent to 1,344 millilitres.
According to the prosecutors’ indictment, Rusli obtained the vape cartridges from an individual named Jeff alias Stone, who remains on the wanted persons list (DPO).
Rusli bought each cartridge for around Rp 2.6 million and resold them for between Rp 3.5 million and Rp 3.7 million. Sales were conducted via WhatsApp. Buyers could collect the goods in person or request delivery using online motorcycle taxi services to hotels or villas.
In addition to the 672 vape cartridges, the panel of judges ordered the destruction of one vape pod, one red cloth bag with clip-seal plastic, and one yellow suitcase.
Meanwhile, two iPhone 15 Pro Max units and cash amounting to Rp 61.67 million were ordered to be confiscated for the state.