Indonesian National Narcotics Agency Seizes New Type of Drug E-Cigarettes: Involves Synthetic Cannabis and Ketamine

Key Points:

·Transnational Smuggling: Indonesia intercepted 80 milliliters of synthetic cannabis and vape pods from Malaysia, and 3 kilograms of ketamine powder from France.

·Disguised as E-Cigarettes: The drugs were disguised as e-cigarettes in an attempt to evade detection.

·New Psychoactive Substances: The circulation of new psychoactive substances is accelerating in Indonesia, posing a threat to public health.

·Strengthening Regulations: The head of the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) called for relevant regulations to address the threat of new types of drugs.

·Follow-up Actions: The BNN has searched and tested various e-cigarette brands, finding some samples containing drug components.

According to a report on August 22, the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) revealed that a new type of drug disguised as an e-cigarette has appeared in the form of e-cigarettes. This began when law enforcement officers intercepted illegal shipments from Malaysia and France.

The Director of the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency, Martinus Hukom, has stated that they successfully prevented the transportation of 80 milliliters of synthetic cannabinoid substances MDMB-4en-PINACA and POD from Malaysia to West Java province.

In addition, the Anti-Drug Bureau also uncovered a drug trafficking case involving 3 kilograms of ketamine powder being transported from France to West Java's Majalengka district. The ketamine powder is suspected to be used as a material for e-liquid. In this case, law enforcement officers also discovered 1860 electronic pods.

Matinicus stated at a press conference on August 23: "The discovery of these cases indicates that the development of new psychoactive substances is increasing rapidly and starting to circulate on a large scale in Indonesia.

Therefore, the Director of the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency stated that regulations regarding new psychoactive substances used in e-cigarette mixtures are urgently needed to protect the public from potential harm.

During the same event, Indonesian National Anti-Drug Agency acting Deputy Director Budi Wibowo explained that the agency, in collaboration with Customs and Tax authorities, discovered a drug shipment from Malaysia on August 7, 2025.

Later, the group delivered the goods to the designated address in the Pandeglang area of Banten province, and successfully apprehended two suspects on August 9th," he said.

At the same time, a case of illegal parcels from France was uncovered by law enforcement on August 19, 2025. Following the disclosure of the case, two suspects, codenamed JA and XZ, were arrested by the drug enforcement bureau.

Law enforcement officers discovered 1860 pods containing methamphetamine in the suspect's home in West End, according to Buddi.

As a follow-up action to the case disclosure, the Anti-Drug Bureau has conducted searches and collected various brands of e-cigarettes circulating in Indonesia. Hundreds of samples were then tested in the Anti-Drug Bureau laboratory.

Approximately 187 samples have been tested, with results for 107, and 80 still in progress at the laboratory," he said.