NORTHAMPTON, MA - NOVEMBER 9: Gummies containing THC sold at NETA (New England Treatment Access) in Northampton, MA are pictured on Nov. 9, 2018. NETA will be one of two pot shops in Massachusetts to start selling recreational marijuana in the upcoming weeks. (Photo by Michael Swensen for The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Tangerang, Indonesia – American basketball player Jarred Dwayne Shaw, 34, has been arrested in Indonesia and charged with drug smuggling after police allegedly discovered 132 pieces of THC-infused candies in his apartment, multiple outlets report.
Shaw, a Dallas native and former player for Utah State and Oklahoma State, was detained on May 7 after airport police raided his residence in Cisauk, Tangerang Regency, following the arrival of a package from Thailand. Authorities say the package, addressed to Shaw, contained Delta 9 THC cannabis candies — a substance banned under Indonesia’s strict drug laws.
The former G-League athlete has played professionally in the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) since 2022. However, following his arrest, Shaw’s team, the Tangerang Hawks, terminated his contract, and the league swiftly issued a lifetime ban.
“We don’t tolerate players, administrators or anyone in the field involved in drugs,” IBL chairman Budisatrio Djiwandono said in a statement to the Associated Press. “There is no room for drug users in the basketball world.”
Shaw was formally charged with drug smuggling and appeared at a press conference on May 14 wearing an orange detainee shirt, with his hands tied. He did not speak during the event.
According to Fox 4 Dallas, Shaw told police he ordered the THC candies for his teammates. Although the Thai government decriminalized cannabis in 2024 — the package’s point of origin — it remains highly illegal in Indonesia. The country enforces some of the strictest drug laws in the world, including the death penalty for trafficking.
If convicted, Shaw could face life imprisonment or execution by firing squad. As of now, more than 500 people sit on Indonesia’s death row, most of them for drug-related offenses. The last executions took place in 2016, including three foreign nationals convicted of drug crimes.
The arrest has drawn international attention and renewed scrutiny of Indonesia’s harsh narcotics policies. Legal experts warn that Shaw’s case underscores the importance of understanding local laws — particularly in countries with zero-tolerance drug enforcement.
Neither Shaw’s legal team nor U.S. officials have commented publicly on the case.
