JAKARTA, Sept 29 — Five Malaysians have been detained in Indonesia for allegedly attempting to smuggle about 5kg of etomidate concealed in the soles of their shoes on a flight from Malaysia.
Indonesian National Police's Narcotics Crime Directorate Unit III head Ivan Adhitira said officers became suspicious of the group, comprising four men and a woman aged between 21 and 49, upon arrival at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday (September 25) and subjected them to a thorough inspection.
“The inspection found suspected etomidate in powder form with a gross weight of 5kg concealed in the soles of the five passengers' shoes,” he said in a statement, adding that laboratory tests subsequently confirmed that the powder contained etomidate.
Further questioning found that a woman in Malaysia known as ‘Madam’ had instructed the five through a Telegram group to transport the substance from Kuala Lumpur for RM9,000.
Ivan said that investigators subsequently monitored the planned handover, leading to the arrest of a Chinese national as he received a suitcase containing the etomidate from two of the Malaysians at a hotel in Jakarta.
An apartment key found in the suspect's possession led police to an apartment in North Jakarta, where investigators seized materials allegedly linked to the production of vape pods containing etomidate.
Police estimated the seized materials could produce about 42,500 vape pods worth 127.5 billion rupiah (RM33.5 million).
He added that the five Malaysians and the Chinese national remain in custody for further investigation, with the suspects facing up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment under Indonesia's narcotics and related criminal laws.
