The father of Broncos superstar Payne Haas could face the death penalty if found guilty of drug trafficking in Indonesia.
Gregor Johann Haas, 46, was arrested by police on Wednesday in Cebu City, in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines.
Police said they have been trying to track down Haas Snr since 5kg of methamphetamine was found at an undisclosed location in December.
“We suspect he has networks throughout Asia, and we also suspect he has networks in Australia,” National Narcotics Agency spokesman Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono said.
“We have a good working relationship with the Australian police, so we will work with them as well.”
Under Indonesia’s strict drug import laws, those found in possession of illegal drugs could face the prospect of life behind bars or the firing squad.
Gregor Johann Haas, 46, was arrested by police in Cebu City, Philippines on Wednesday
Payne Haas (left) and his father Gregor are pictured at the 2019 Dally M Awards
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting anyone else in the Haas family is involved.
Haas Snr is expected to be extradited from the city of Manila, where he has been in custody since his arrest, to Indonesia.
However, officials in Australia may have to authorize the extradition.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to an Australian arrested in the Philippines.
Indonesian officials said this Sydney Morning Herald that the Australian Federal Police were not involved in the arrest.
The last Australians to be executed in Indonesia were Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the convicted leaders of the Bali Nine drug smugglers, in 2015.
The nine Australians were arrested in 2005 when they tried to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin into Australia on a flight from Bali airport.
Of the remaining seven, only one, Renae Lawrence, has been released from prison, while another Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen died in prison of cancer.
The father of Broncos superstar Payne Haas (pictured) could face the death penalty after being accused of trafficking large quantities of illegal drugs in Indonesia
The arrest comes after father-of-two Troy Smith was charged with drug possession and drug trafficking after Indonesian authorities raided his hotel room on April 30.
Officers reportedly found more than 3 grams of methamphetamine in a toothpaste tube, a bong and 0.04 grams of methamphetamine in a sunglasses case.
The 49-year-old’s lawyers have argued that Smith bought the methamphetamine in Bali and is struggling with addiction problems.
They said the package was sent to their customer by a friend as a thank you for his help with a car purchase, and he didn’t know what was inside.
Smith is currently being held in an overcrowded cell at the Denpasar police station.
