Denpasar, Eyewitness | One method of drug abuse and illicit trafficking is through e-cigarettes. This method was successfully uncovered by the Bali Provincial BNN on Saturday (February 7, 2026).
This case stemmed from an intelligence analysis by the Bali BNN regarding information on an etomidate liquid network operating in the Sidakarya area, Denpasar, Bali.
Based on this information, the Bali Province National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Eradication Team conducted a search and subsequently arrested a man with the initials RW alias Kris (44) on Jl. Kerta Dalam, Sidakarya Village, South Denpasar.
In the presence of community witnesses, officers searched the suspect’s home and found 72 cartridges containing vape/e-cigarette fluid suspected of containing the Class II narcotic etomidate.
The Head of the Bali BNNP Eradication Division, Kombes Pol Tri Kuncoro, explained that Etomidate is an anesthetic often used in emergency medical treatment, especially for critically ill patients. However, this drug is also frequently abused as an ingredient in vapes or even other narcotics.
“Etomidate provides sedative, hypnotic, and relaxation effects by acting on the central nervous system, which can lead to addiction,” he said.
Adding etomidate to e-cigarettes is a serious violation of Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024, implementing Law No. 17 of 2023 concerning Health. Article 432 paragraph (1) states:
“Any person producing tobacco products and electronic cigarettes is prohibited from using additives unless it has been scientifically proven that such materials are not harmful to health.” {The Latest Online Law on Narcotics Classification in Indonesia}
From the results of the interrogation and examination, it was discovered that the perpetrator still stored other liquid narcotics in a rented house located across from the suspect’s house. A search of the house uncovered a yellow suitcase containing 600 (six hundred) tablets of liquid etomidate.
The suspect admitted that the narcotics were his, having been purchased from a foreign national known as Stone.
Class II narcotics are narcotics with medicinal properties, used as a last resort, and can be used in therapy and/or for scientific purposes. They also have a high potential for dependence.
The suspect and evidence were secured at the Bali Provincial National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Office for further investigation and prosecution.
