Batam, SEAJori – Indonesian authorities have arrested a 21 years old Singaporean woman at Harbour Bay International ferry terminal in Batam, after customs officers caught her attempting to smuggle etomidate-infused liquid vapes hidden in her underwear.
The suspect, identified by her initials WSB, was intercepted by customs personnel upon arriving on the last ferry from Harbour Front in Singapore at Harbour Bay International Ferry Terminal in Batam on 3 September 2026.
“We were profiling incoming passengers when we noticed the suspect walking awkwardly,” said Lucky Tamo, Head of Enforcement & Investigation at the Batam Customs Office, during a press briefing on Thursday (17/9/2026).
“A detailed search revealed items concealed in her crotch,” Lucky added.
Subsequent testing confirmed the liquid in the vape cartridges contained illicit narcotics named Etomidate. Customs officers immediately handed WSB over to the Barelang Police for criminal investigation.
Police said the suspect claimed during interrogation that the vapes were meant strictly for personal consumption while visiting Batam.
Head of the Barelang Police Drugs Unit, Superintendent Arsyad Riyandi, said that the items were found unsealed rather than in commercial distribution packaging.
“Despite her claim, we are still investigating the origin of the drugs and probing potential ties to international drug networks,” Arsyad said, adding that foreign nationals face the same strict legal enforcement as Indonesian citizens under local drug laws.
The arrest was announced during a formal destruction of seized evidence at police headquarters this morning. Authorities incinerated and destroyed drugs tied to 14 police reports filed over the past month, valued at an estimated 540 million rupiahs (USD35,000).
The destroyed contraband included marijuana, ecstasy, methamphetamine, and hundreds of etomidate-infused liquid vape cartridges of various brands.
WSB is among 15 suspects which is divided into 11 men and four women currently held in connection with the cases. (*)
