The father of NRL superstar Payne Haas could face the prospect of the death penalty after being arrested in the Philippines, according to multiple reports.
Gregor Haas was arrested in Cebu City on Wednesday and could now be extradited to Indonesia, where he is accused of running enough drugs to be dealt the death penalty.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Blues star’s father arrested in the Philippines.
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Indonesian police say Haas had been the subject of a manhunt since last December after discovering five kilograms of crystal methamphetamine at a location they would not reveal.
It’s believed he has been using the fake name Fernando Tremendo Chimenea.
The 46-year-old is being held in the city of Manila, from which authorities will attempt to extradite him to Indonesia.
“We suspect him to have networks all over Asia, and we also suspect he has networks in Australia,” Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) spokesperson Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono said.
“We have good cooperation with Australian police, so we will work with them too.”
Philippines police assisted with the arrest.
It has been nine years since convicted Australian drug mules Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed in Indonesia for their co-ringleading roles in a heroin-smuggling operation from Indonesia to Australia in 2015. They are the last Australians to receive the death penalty in Indonesia.
Payne Haas will still line up for the Brisbane Broncos against Manly on Friday, the opening night of the NRL’s Magic Round in Brisbane.
The club is reportedly aware of the situation and have offered its support to the star forward.
