May 19, 2025
Police officers raided his apartment and seized 132 pieces of cannabis candy
An overseas basketball player from Dallas, Jarred Dwayne Shaw, has been arrested and is in danger of facing a death sentence in Indonesia after being accused of smuggling drugs into the country.
According to The Associated Press, Shaw, 34, who played college basketball for Utah State University and Oklahoma State University, was arrested after police officers raided his apartment and seized 132 pieces of cannabis candy. Law enforcement officials were notified after customs at the airport alerted them that the basketball player received a suspicious airway package from Thailand, according to Ronald Sipayung, the Soekarno-Hatta Airport police chief. The arrest took place May 7.
Shaw, who hails from Dallas, recently signed with the Tangerang Hawks of the Indonesian Basketball League and has been playing with several teams since 2022.
Due to the allegations and arrest, Tangerang Hawks’ manager, Tikky Suwantikno, stated that the club had immediately fired Shaw for breaching his contract. The Indonesian Basketball League chair, Budisatrio Djiwandono, said Shaw has been banned from playing in the league for life.
“We don’t tolerate players, administrators, or anyone in the field involved in drugs. There is no room for drug users in the basketball world,” Djiwandono said.
In Shaw’s apartment, the candy contained a gross weight of 869 grams (30.6 ounces) of illegal cannabinoid in the package. While being interrogated, he expressed to the police that he wanted to share the cannabis candy with his fellow basketball players.
“We are still running the investigation to uncover the international drugs network behind this case and to stop its distribution,” Sipayung said.
Due to the country’s strict anti-drug laws, Shaw could face a life sentence or the death penalty if convicted. He could face a firing squad as a convicted smuggler. The last time there were executions in Indonesia was in July 2016 when the country convicted a native and three foreigners.
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