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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National

NRL star Payne Haas' father arrested over alleged drug trafficking

NRL star Payne Haas' father has been arrested in the Philippines and faces extradition to Indonesia, where he is accused of drug trafficking.

Gregor Johann Haas, 46, was arrested in Cebu City on Wednesday, according to local media reports.

Brisbane are rallying around prop Payne Haas after his father's arrest in the Philippines. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)

Head of the Public Relations and Protocol Bureau of Indonesia's National Narcotics Board General Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono said authorities had been tracking Haas since December last year after the discovery of five kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman told AAP it was providing consular assistance to an Australian man arrested in the Philippines but was unable to make further comment due to privacy obligations.

Payne Haas' club, the Brisbane Broncos, said it was aware of the matter.

"We will support Payne in whatever way he needs," media officer Steele Tallon told AAP on Friday evening.

The 24-year-old is rated one of code's elite players, winning Brisbane's player of the year award five years running and starring during the side's charge to the 2023 grand final.

He has represented NSW in State of Origin 11 times and played for Australia in four Tests. His younger brother Klese is a rising star with cross-town rivals Gold Coast.

Zeda Haas, the brother of Brisbane NRL star Payne Haas, had all charges against him dropped in April 2024.

Police last month withdrew charges against another sibling, Zeda Haas, over the alleged supply of almost 2kg of methamphetamine in the NSW Hunter region. He and 19-year-old Kaharau Beer were pulled over in a car at Beresfield and charged over an alleged plot to import large quantities of methamphetamine from the United States.

According to police, Australian Border Force officers in early August intercepted two parcels from the US, which allegedly contained 1.8kg and 2.2kg of methamphetamine. The drugs had a potential street value of $3.5 million, police have said.

The package containing 1.8kg of ice was addressed to a house at Beresfield and, after being replaced with an inert substitute, was sent on its way and monitored by police.

This story was compiled with reporting by AAP.

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