Ecuadorian police have seized 469kg of cocaine from a truck near the Colombian border after discovering hundreds of drug packages bearing the image of Norwegian football star Erling Haaland, leading to the arrest of a Colombian national.
The anti-narcotics operation was carried out along the Pan-American Highway after police received an anonymous tip early Tuesday about a suspicious vehicle. Officers stopped and searched the truck, where they found 370 packages hidden beneath a false floor.
Police footage shared by Al Jazeera English on Thursday showed green rectangular packages being removed from the truck’s concealed compartment. Haaland’s image was clearly visible on the wrapping of the packages.
The use of Haaland’s image has drawn attention to a practice by drug trafficking organisations of placing the names or pictures of well-known sports personalities and celebrities on drug shipments. Such markings can be used by trafficking groups to identify the network behind a consignment and show its intended recipient.
Haaland’s image has become widely recognisable following his performances at the World Cup in Mexico, the United States and Canada. The Norwegian striker has also gained a huge following on social media, where his personality and appearance have made him the subject of numerous memes and viral videos.
He is not the first football star whose image has been found on suspected drug consignments. Police have previously recovered a package bearing the image of Argentine national team captain Lionel Messi during another drug seizure.
The suspect arrested during the operation was identified by police as María R., a Colombian national. She was detained in the Guagua Negro area near the border city of Tulcan, about 246km north of Quito.
Authorities valued the seized cocaine at nearly Sh108.6 million on Ecuador’s domestic market. The estimate was based on a stated value of $842,000, calculated at an exchange rate of Sh129 to the dollar.
The value of the shipment was much higher in overseas markets. Police estimated that the cocaine could fetch more than Sh1.42 billion in the United States and over Sh2.53 billion in Europe.
The seizure comes as Ecuador continues to face a major drug trafficking problem, with criminal groups linked to Colombian and Mexican cartels using the country as a key route for moving narcotics.
Police said 80 per cent of the drugs trafficked through Ecuador originate in Colombia, while the remaining 20 per cent comes from Peru.
The country has recorded large drug seizures in recent years. Ecuadorian police reported confiscating 80 tonnes of drugs during the first half of this year.
Authorities seized nearly 215 tonnes of drugs in 2025 and almost 295 tonnes in 2024, with cocaine making up most of the drugs recovered.