Payne Haas’ brother Zeda charged with trafficking $1m of ice
The brother of NRL star Payne Haas has allegedly been caught trying to traffick $1 million worth of ice into NSW from Queensland.
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The brother of NRL star Payne Haas has allegedly been caught trying to bring $1m worth of ice into NSW from Queensland.
Zeda Haas, 19, was arrested by police at Beresfield, west of Newcastle, about 11.45am on Tuesday over the alleged effort to bring 1.8kg of methamphetamine into the state.
Police had allegedly been on to the plot for some time before it unfolded and managed to replace the real drugs with anothersubstance.
But it will be alleged Haas and his co-accused Kaharau Beer, 20, were unaware of this as they drove it with them in the bootof their ute.
In a statement, NSW Police said they stopped the pair on Apprentice Close at Beresfield, before allegedly finding the apparent drugs which police said would have had an estimated street value of $1,080,000.
“Both men were arrested at the scene and taken to Maitland Police Station,” the statement read. “There they were charged withtraffic in commercial quantity of controlled drug, and take part supply prohibited drug – large commercial quantity.”
Haas and Beer were refused bail to appear before Maitland Local Court on Wednesday.
The arrest of the Brisbane Broncos star’s younger brother comes just months after a horrible drug overdose that claimed the life of his friend.
Zeda Haas was one of three men rushed to hospital after the mass overdose at his parents Gold Coast home in May.
His friend Jeremiah Lolohea died in the same incident.
There is no suggestion Payne Haas is involved in any way in either incident.
It comes amid a variety of challenges for the Haas family in recent years.
The family matriarch, Joan Taufua is behind bars on remand after a high-speed crash on the Gold Coast on December 30 lastyear which killed three people.
Police allege Taufua, who is charged with three counts of manslaughter, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, evading policeand driving without a licence, veered on to the wrong side of the road and collided with a car carrying retired doctor Chris Fawcett, 79, his partner Susan Zimmer, 70, and her daughter Steffanie, 35.
Another Haas brother, Chace, who became a quadriplegic when he was involved in a car crash at just five months old, died aged 22 in 2020.
In happier news for Payne Haas, on Tuesday the Brisbane Broncos star agreed terms on a $3.5m contract extension, seeing the club ward off poaching threats from the NRL and Rugby Australia to secure the prop on a new deal.
It is understood Haas has shaken hands on a three-year contract until the end of 2026 as part of a beefed-up deal worth upto $1.2m a season – making him the highest paid player in Brisbane’s 35-year history.
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