A MALAYSIAN man has been arrested in Medan, Indonesia, after allegedly bringing vape devices containing drugs into the country for distribution, prompting Indonesian authorities to seek assistance from Malaysian police to identify the alleged suppliers.
The 22-year-old suspect was arrested last week alongside his 35-year-old Indonesian girlfriend, who police believe assisted in the alleged drug distribution operation.
According to Antara News, Medan police seized 29 vape devices believed to contain drugs during the operation.
Medan City Police Narcotics Investigation chief Assistant Commissioner Rafli Yusuf Nugraha said the pair were arrested while inside a car at a car park near a row of shops along Jalan Cemara, Percut Sei Tuan, in Deli Serdang.
"When we arrested them, both were inside a car. We found 24 vape devices containing drugs stored in a backpack," he said during a press conference in Medan on Tuesday.
Rafli said the arrests followed intelligence received by the Medan City Police Narcotics Investigation Unit about a man and woman allegedly involved in distributing vape devices containing drugs.
Police subsequently tracked the pair before apprehending them at the location.
A search of the couple’s rented home in Jalan PWS, Medan Petisah, later uncovered another five vape devices believed to contain drugs, along with RM15,000 in cash stored in a safe.
The money is suspected to have been proceeds from drug sales.
Rafli said the total seizure amounted to 29 vape devices.
"We believe the Malaysian suspect and the woman are a couple who met through social media before meeting in Malaysia and allegedly agreeing to distribute drugs in Medan.
"Investigations found that the Malaysian man had previously brought 20 vape devices containing drugs from Malaysia in July, all of which were sold with the assistance of his girlfriend.
"Most of the buyers were her friends in Medan," he said.
Police believe the Malaysian suspect concealed the devices among folded clothes before placing them in luggage when entering Indonesia.
Rafli said the suspect allegedly repeated the method during a subsequent shipment, bringing another 40 vape devices believed to contain drugs from Malaysia.
Investigators suspect the 29 devices seized were the remaining stock from the second shipment.
Urine tests conducted on both suspects also returned positive for drugs, according to police.
Indonesian authorities are now expanding their investigation to trace the alleged suppliers and identify the wider distribution network operating in Medan.
Rafli said Indonesian police would coordinate with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to track down individuals suspected of supplying the drugs or acting as the alleged masterminds behind the operation in Malaysia.
"This case is still being developed and we will coordinate with Malaysian police to arrest the masterminds behind both suspects," he said. - August 26, 2026
