- Haas allegedly trafficked methamphetamine to Indonesia
- Currently detained in a prison in the Philippines
- Waiting to know if he will be extradited to Indonesia
Payne Haas’ father Gregor could be used in a prisoner swap with a Filipino woman who has been on death row in Indonesia since 2010.
Haas, 46, was arrested in Cebu City two weeks ago in dramatic scenes and is now expected to be extradited to Indonesia to face drug trafficking charges after police accused him of smuggling methamphetamine into the country hidden in tiles. .
If convicted, he could face life in prison or be executed by firing squad.
Filipino prisoner Mary Jane Veloso, sentenced to death in October 2010 for attempting to smuggle 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Indonesia from Malaysia, has been mentioned in a prisoner exchange agreement between Indonesia and the Philippines.
Payne Haas’ father Gregor (pictured) could be used in a prisoner swap with a high-profile Filipino woman who has been on death row for nearly 15 years.
Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso (pictured), a single mother of two, is sentenced to death in Indonesia
Philippine Immigration Bureau spokesperson Dana Sandoval told the mail that the possible prisoner exchange agreement could be on the table.
Haas’ soccer star sons, Payne and Klese, have reportedly not been in contact with their father since his arrest, and Gregor used a reporter to pass a message to Payne, telling him he loves him and is sorry.
Taufua is currently facing trial for alleged manslaughter over a horror car crash on the Gold Coast that left three of his family members dead.
Veloso, a single mother of two, was spared the firing squad in 2015 after a woman allegedly confessed that she had set up Veloso and unwittingly used her as a drug mule for an international syndicate.
His case has attracted significant media attention in the Philippines, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faces pressure to negotiate his return.
Philippine authorities have stated that Haas allegedly worked with the Sinaloa drug cartel.
“The drugs were seized by Indonesian authorities, who later discovered, through testimonies obtained from arrested drug couriers, that the packages were sent by Haas from Guadalajara, Mexico,” Philippine authorities stated.
Indonesian officials accused Haas of attempting to smuggle more than five kilograms of methamphetamine into the country on December 11, 2023.
The Broncos’ Payne Haas, his brother and Klese Haas (pictured after playing last Sunday) have not been in contact with their father since he was arrested.
Gregor Haas is pictured with his son Payne at the 2019 Dally M Awards
The Sinaloa Cartel, also known as the Guzmán-Zambada Organization or the Pacific Cartel, is a notorious international criminal syndicate based in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico.
It is one of the oldest, largest and most violent criminal groups in Mexico and maintains a strong influence despite the arrests of its founder Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán and his son.
The last Australians executed in Indonesia were Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in 2015.