The father of Brisbane Broncos NRL star Payne Haas could be sent to Indonesia to face drug offences as part of a prisoner swap with the Philippines involving a former mayor accused of spying for China.

Indonesia on Thursday deported Alice Guo, a former mayor of a Philippine city accused in Manila of helping set up an illegal online gaming and fraud center and of evading an investigation by the Philippine Senate.

She was also accused of spying for China and forging Filipino citizenship.

Indonesian police arrested Ms Guo on Tuesday in a suburb of Jakarta.

He denies any irregularities.

In return, Indonesian authorities hope the Philippines will send Australian Gregor Johann Haas, who was arrested in May in the central Philippines.

The Manila Bureau of Immigration said Mr. Haas was a “high-profile fugitive suspected of being a member of the Sinaloa Cartel, a large international organized crime group based in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, that specializes in drug trafficking and money laundering.”

Indonesian authorities say he tried to smuggle a shipment of floor tiles containing more than 5 kilograms of methamphetamine into Indonesia last December.

Under Indonesian law, he faces the death penalty by shooting.

Indonesian police international unit chief Khrisna Murti said on Wednesday that “negotiations are still ongoing” over the Australian’s return.

Asked about the reports of a prisoner exchange, Indonesian Ambassador to Manila Agus Widjojo told state-run People’s Television Network on Thursday that “talks have only just started.”

A Filipino official told the AP news agency, requesting anonymity, that Australia fears Mr Haas could face the death penalty if deported to Indonesia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.

The former mayor spent months on the run

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. thanked Indonesia for the arrest of Ms. Guo, who was elected in 2022 as mayor of the rural town of Bamban in Tarlac province north of Manila.

She denied all allegations, but the Philippine Ombudsman dismissed her from her position for grave misconduct.

After leaving the Philippines in July, she was tracked to Malaysia and Singapore before ending up in Indonesia.

Two companions who reportedly fled the Philippines with her were recently arrested in Indonesia and immediately deported to the Philippines.

In July, the Philippine president ordered a ban on widespread, mostly Chinese-run online gambling sites, accusing them of involvement in human trafficking, torture, kidnapping and murder.

AP/ABC