Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s National Police Chief, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, has warned of a new and troubling trend in drug abuse involving the misuse of dangerous chemical compounds Ketamine and Etomidate in unconventional ways.
Speaking at a drug destruction event at the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday (October 29), attended by President Prabowo Subianto, Sigit said the substances are being consumed in worrying new forms.
“Field investigations have revealed an emerging and deeply concerning trend, the rising misuse of hazardous compounds such as Ketamine, which is now being inhaled through the nose, and Etomidate, which is mixed into vape liquids and inhaled using pods,” Sigit said.
The destruction event included the disposal of more than 214 tons of confiscated narcotics.
Sigit noted that, under current law, both substances are not yet classified under Indonesia’s list of controlled narcotics, meaning users cannot be prosecuted. “These two dangerous compounds have not been regulated under existing legal provisions, so users cannot be criminally charged,” he said.
To address this legal gap, the National Police, through the National Committee on Narcotics, Psychotropics, and Precursors is working with the Ministry of Health’s Drug Access Working Group to introduce legal reforms.
“The aim is to ensure these substances are included in the revised Narcotics Law or, in the short term, added to the Ministry of Health’s regulatory appendix on controlled substances,” Sigit explained.
He emphasized that once the legal framework is updated, law enforcement will be able to take criminal action against users and distributors of these substances.
“With the new legal provisions in place, we hope that the misuse of Ketamine and Etomidate can be prosecuted under criminal law,” Sigit said.
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During the destruction event at the National Police Headquarters in South Jakarta, President Prabowo Subianto joined the National Police (Polri) in destroying 2.1 tons of confiscated narcotics worth an estimated Rp29.37 trillion (about $1.8 billion) during
The destroyed narcotics were seized over the past year as part of nationwide law enforcement operations targeting drug trafficking networks.
According to Police spokesperson Inspector General Sandi Nugroho, Polri recorded a total of 38,934 drug-related cases between January and October 2025. “From January to October 2025, the Indonesian National Police have handled 38,934 narcotics cases,” Sandi said during a press briefing at police headquarters.
He added that more than 51,000 suspects have been arrested during that period, and 197.7 tons of narcotics were seized as evidence.
The large-scale destruction event marked one of the government’s most significant anti-drug actions this year, underscoring Indonesia’s continued crackdown on narcotics trafficking and production across the archipelago.
(Raidi/Agung)
