Ecuadorian police have seized 369 kilogrammes of cocaine from a truck near the country’s border with Colombia, with the packages bearing images of Norwegian football star Erling Haaland.
The drugs were recovered on Wednesday after anti-narcotics officers, acting on an anonymous tip, intercepted a suspicious truck travelling along the Pan-American Highway.
According to Ecuadorian police, officers discovered 370 packages of cocaine concealed inside a false compartment in the vehicle. The driver was arrested following the discovery.
Footage released by the police showed stickers bearing Haaland’s image attached to several of the packages, drawing attention to the unusual branding of the seized consignment.
Authorities did not immediately explain why the footballer’s image was used on the cocaine packages.
However, the use of celebrities and prominent sports figures to identify drug shipments is reportedly a practice employed by trafficking networks to distinguish consignments and indicate their intended criminal networks or clients.
Haaland has become one of the most recognisable footballers in the world, with his profile rising further following his performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Manchester City striker reportedly scored seven goals in four matches during the tournament, further increasing his popularity and visibility on social media.
The Norwegian forward is not the first major football star whose image has appeared on illicit drug consignments.
Argentine football captain Lionel Messi has also reportedly had his image found on packages seized during previous anti-narcotics operations.
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The latest seizure occurred in the Guagua Negro area near Tulcán, approximately 246 kilometres north of Ecuador’s capital, Quito.
Police also arrested a woman identified as María R., who was reportedly carrying Colombian identification documents.
The seized cocaine was estimated to have a street value of nearly $11 million in the United States and more than $19.6 million in Europe.
Ecuador has increasingly become an important transit and logistical point for international drug trafficking networks, with criminal organisations linked to Colombian and Mexican cartels using the country to store and transport narcotics destined largely for North American and European markets.
Authorities estimate that about 80 per cent of the cocaine moving through Ecuador originates from Colombia, while the remaining portion comes from Peru.
Police said they had seized approximately 80 tonnes of drugs during the first half of 2026.
The figure compares with nearly 215 tonnes seized throughout 2025 and almost 295 tonnes in 2024, with cocaine accounting for the majority of the narcotics recovered.
The latest operation underscores the scale of Ecuador’s continuing battle against drug trafficking and the increasingly sophisticated methods used by criminal networks to conceal and identify their shipments.