Former college basketball player Jarred Shaw could face the death penalty after he was arrested in Indonesia for allegedly smuggling cannabis-infused candy into the country.
Jarred Shaw Possessed 132 Pieces Of Delta 9 THC Cannabis Candies
According to TMZ Sports, police opened an investigation earlier this month after receiving a tip from airport customs that Shaw was sent a suspicious package from Thailand.
Shaw was arrested on May 7 after Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police raided his apartment in Tangerang Regency and found 132 pieces of Delta 9 THC cannabis candies, per The Associated Press.
“An offense involving candies containing Delta 9 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) implicating basketball athlete JDS was handled by the Narcotics Unit of Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police,” airport police chief Ronald Sipayung said.
Shaw Said He Ordered The THC Candies For His Teammates
Shaw reportedly told police he ordered the THC candies for his teammates. Tangerang Hawks’ manager, Tikky Suwantikno, said the team immediately fired him for a breach of contract following his arrest.
The 34-year-old has also been banned for life from the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) and now faces a possible life sentence or even the death penalty if found guilty.
“We don’t tolerate players, administrators or anyone in the field involved in drugs,” IBL chairman Budisatrio Djiwandono said. “There is no room for drug users in the basketball world.”
Authorities presented Shaw at a news conference on Wednesday, where he appeared with his hands tied. He did not speak during the appearance.
Cannabis In All Forms Is Illegal In Indonesia
Indonesia has some of the strictest drug laws in the world. Cannabis in all forms is illegal. The 2009 Narcotics Law groups weed into the same category as opium and cocaine.
About 530 people are currently on death row, and most of them are facing drug charges. The country last carried out executions in July 2016, including executing three foreign citizens.
Even if a citizen or tourist avoids the death penalty, the production, sale, import, or export of cannabis can result in up to 15 years in prison and a fine of over $600,000.
Shaw, a 6-foot-11, 235-pound center from Dallas, played college basketball at Oklahoma State and Utah State and was selected by the Santa Cruz Warriors in the 2015 NBA Development League Draft.
In August 2019, Shaw signed with Dorados de Chihuahua of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). He then went on to play for Club Trouville of Montevideo, Uruguay, during the 2019-20 LUB season.
