Police in Ecuador found the Norwegian soccer star’s image on packages of cocaine hidden in a truck near the Colombian border
Credit: Ecuador National Police via AP
NEED TO KNOW
- Ecuadorian police seized 1,034 lbs. of cocaine from a truck near the Colombian border
- Many of the packages bore stickers featuring Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland
- Police arrested a woman identified as María R. during the operation
Erling Haaland’s face has turned up in an unexpected place: on packages in a 1,034-lb. cocaine shipment.
Police in Ecuador seized 469 kilograms, or about 1,034 lbs., of cocaine from a truck near the Colombian border on Wednesday, Aug. 12, the Associated Press and CBS reported.
Many of the green packages bore stickers featuring the soccer star, who plays as a striker for Manchester City and the Norwegian national team.
A woman identified by police only as María R., who had Colombian identity documents, was arrested during the operation, according to the AP.
Anti-narcotics agents were conducting an operation on the Pan-American Highway after receiving an anonymous tip early Tuesday morning when they spotted a suspicious truck, according to a police news release cited by the AP.
Credit: Ecuador National Police
When officers searched the vehicle, they found 370 packages concealed in a false bottom, according to the AP. Video released by Ecuador’s National Police showed officers removing the green-wrapped packages, many of which bore stickers featuring Haaland.
Police did not explain why Haaland’s image appeared on the packages. Drug traffickers commonly label shipments with the names of well-known sports figures and other celebrities to signal which criminal network produced the drugs and which client they belong to, according to the AP.
The operation took place in the area of Guagua Negro, near the border city of Tulcan, about 153 miles north of Quito.
The drugs were estimated to be worth nearly $842,000 in Ecuador, more than $11 million in the United States and more than $19.6 million in Europe, the AP reported.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
The seizure comes after Haaland scored seven goals across four matches for Norway during the 2026 World Cup, held in Mexico, the United States and Canada.
Haaland isn’t the first soccer superstar whose likeness has appeared on seized drugs. Argentine national team captain Lionel Messi’s image has also appeared on a seized package, according to the AP.
Read the full article here