U.S. EMBASSY  WARDEN MESSAGE

U.S. Embassy Jakarta
U.S. Consulate General Surabaya
U.S. Consulate Medan

January 28, 2009

The U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya would like to inform U.S. citizens that several American Citizens have recently reported they believe they were drugged while visiting Bali.  Although the circumstances surrounding these current cases are not clear, in past years, there have been periodic reports of "drink-spiking" incidents in Bali, Jakarta, and Surabaya, usually targeting males who are frequenting clubs and nightspots, for the purpose of robbery.  Females have also been victimized in the past with "date-rape" drugs.

The effects of the drugs used in the drink-spiking incidents, believed to be an animal tranquilizer, are extremely powerful.  Besides putting the victim in an unconscious state for a long period of time, the side effects include memory loss, nausea, headaches and vomiting.  The Consulate suggests everyone consider carefully the following guidance:

• Do not bring a stranger back to your residence or room.

• Never accept a drink from a stranger, someone you don’t know well or you don’t trust. 

• Do not leave your drink unattended if/when you are out socializing.

• Make sure any bottled beverage that is served to you is sealed; have the server open it in front of you.

• It is a good practice to go out with a friend or group of people. If you feel dizzy or sick, ask a friend or someone you trust to take you to a safe place.

If you find yourself a victim of such a crime, please seek medical help immediately and contact local police authorities.

The Consulate also wishes to remind Americans who are visiting Indonesia, and Bali in particular, that the prevalence of drugs by no means indicates that Indonesian society and authorities accept the use of illegal drugs.  Indonesia maintains very strict laws, often involving long prison sentences, for those caught using or in possession of illegal drugs. 

Americans living and traveling in Indonesia are urged to register and update their contact information with the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, U.S. Consulate Medan or U.S. Consular Agency in Bali.  Registration facilitates the U.S. Mission’s contact with Americans in emergency situations, and may be done on line and in advance of travel.  Information on registering can be found at the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Affairs website at http://travelregistration.state.gov, at the Embassy’s website at http://jakarta.usembassy.gov, or at the Consulate General’s website at http://jakarta.usembassy.gov/sby. All Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, Worldwide Cautions, and recent warden messages are posted on the Embassy website.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov , where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, and health-information resources can be found.  Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The Embassy is located at Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 4-5, Jakarta; the 24-hour telephone number is 62-21-3435-9000.  The telephone number of the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya is 62-31-295-6400; the number for the U.S. Consulate in Medan is 62-61-415-2200; and the number for the U.S. Consular Agency in Bali is 62-361-233-605.