Norway’s soccer star Erling Haaland’s face has appeared on billboards, trading cards and television screens, after he became a social media phenomenon for scoring seven goals across four World Cup matches in July.

Now, police in Ecuador have found his likeness in an unexpected place – printed on green rectangular packages that made up a stunning cocaine shipment seized in a truck near the Colombian border.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested following the seizure of the stash of 369 kilograms (813 pounds) of cocaine on Wednesday, police said, but provided no explanation for the stickers with the image of the golden-haired Norwegian striker.

However, it is common practice for drug traffickers to label their shipments with the names of well-known sports figures and other celebrities as a way of signaling which criminal network produced the merchandise and which client it belongs to.

A news release said anti-narcotics agents were conducting an operation following an anonymous tip received early Tuesday morning on the Pan-American Highway when they noticed a suspicious truck. After searching it, they found 370 packages hidden in a false bottom of the truck.

Police released a video showing the packages spilling out from the truck’s false bottom, with the stickers of Haaland – often called a “pretty princess” and “babygirl” by his fans – clearly visible.

Haaland was one of the top scorers and most charismatic players at the World Cup held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada, and his imposing stature and goofy sense of humor sparked a wave of creative viral videos and memes.

Haaland is not the only soccer star apparently favored by drug smugglers – the image of Argentine national team captain Lionel Messi has also appeared on another seized package.

Ecuador is considered to be a logistical hub for drug trafficking, where drugs are stockpiled, stored and distributed via Central American routes mainly to the United States, though narcotics are also shipped to Europe.

Police said a woman identified only as María R., with Colombian identity documents, was arrested in Wednesday’s operation in the area of Guagua Negro, near the border city of Tulcan, 246 kilometers (153 miles) north of the capital of Quito.

The estimated value of the shipment is nearly $842,000 on the domestic market, and more than $11 million in the US and more than $19.6 million (17 million euros) in Europe.

In Ecuador, local criminal gangs allied with Colombian and Mexican cartels manage the routes and ship the narcotics, 80% of which originate in Colombia and the rest in Peru.

In the first half of this year, police reported seizing 80 tons of drugs, while in 2025 authorities confiscated nearly 215 tons, primarily cocaine. In 2024, the amount reached almost 295 tons. (BBC)

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