Singaporean arrested in etomidate vape drug production

Antara reported that the home-based operation had begun producing the drug cartridges just a day before the raid.

An investigation is under way to determine how many cartridges were produced and how long the operation had been running.

Wisnu said the suspect and the seized evidence had been transferred to the airport police for further investigation.

The house used in the drug production, located in the upscale Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) area, has also been sealed off.

The head of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Police Narcotics Unit, Michael Kharisma Tandayu, said the house was rented by another Singaporean, who had recruited the suspect to produce 500 etomidate vape cartridges a day.

Michael said the suspect had arrived in Indonesia on July 13, reported IDN Times.

Wisnu said the raid stemmed from an ongoing investigation into two bottles containing 2,200g of etomidate that had been smuggled from Malaysia and intercepted by airport customs.

The seized material was enough to produce up to 2,000 drug cartridges.

The police and customs authorities then launched a joint operation to dismantle the drug syndicate behind the smuggling, leading them to the house in PIK.