American Basketball Player Arrested in Indonesia for Cannabis Could Face Death Penalty

American basketball player Jarred Dwayne Shaw was arrested in Indonesia
earlier this month for allegedly smuggling cannabis-infused candies into
the country, NBC News reports. The Southeast Asian nation’s strict drug
laws include severe punishments for drug-related charges, including
potentially execution by firing squad.

Shaw — originally from Dallas, Texas — was arrested May 7 following a
police raid on his apartment outside the capital city of Jakarta. Police
said they seized 132 cannabis candies during the raid — enough for
prosecutors to seek life imprisonment or the death penalty, the report
said. The candies were believed to have been shipped from Thailand, where
cannabis has been decriminalized.

In a video circulated on social media capturing the lead-up to Shaw’s
arrest, the 34-year-old was seen shouting “Help” as he was taken by police.

“We are still running the investigation to uncover the international drugs
network behind this case and to stop its distribution.” — Ronald Sipayung,
Soekarno-Hatta Airport police chief, via NBC News

The Indonesian Basketball League has banned Shaw from playing in the league
ever again. “We don’t tolerate players, administrators, or anyone in the
field involved in drugs,” said the league chair Budisatrio Djiwandono.
“There is no room for drug users in the basketball world.”

Of the 530 people currently on death row in Indonesia, 96 are foreigners,
according to official data.