he Batam, Rempang and Galang (Barelang) City Police in Riau Islands in coordination with the Batam Immigration Office, seized 1,931 e-cigarettes laced with narcotics during a two-month anti-drug operation from February to April.
Head of Barelang Police narcotics directorate Comr. Arsyad Riyandi said authorities were encountering a rising trend in the use of e-cigarettes, or vaporizers, as a medium for drug abuse and distribution. The method is seen as more practical and less detectable, while the devices’ resemblance to conventional e-cigarettes allows traffickers to conceal them more easily.
“E-cigarette devices are easy to use, allowing drugs to be consumed at any time. They are also harder to detect because many people do not realize they may contain narcotics,” Arsyad said.
Most of the narcotics-laced e-cigarette devices were smuggled from neighboring Malaysia by international drug syndicates via sea routes, police said.
Authorities found that most of the seized devices contained etomidate, a fast-acting intravenous anesthetic typically used to induce and maintain anesthesia during short, high-risk procedures. The drug can produce effects similar to ketamine, another anesthetic known for its dissociative and hallucinogenic properties.
Under Indonesian law, etomidate is classified as a Group II narcotic, meaning it has a high potential for dependence but may be used as a last-resort option in medical treatment or for scientific research.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has reported a growing trend of etomidate abuse through e-cigarettes across East and Southeast Asia and Oceania in recent years.
