Ecuador Police Bust Major Cocaine Haul Bearing Haaland's Image

Ecuadorian police have seized 469 kilograms of cocaine from a truck near the Colombian border, with many of the packages carrying stickers featuring the face of Norway football star Erling Haaland. The seizure was made on Wednesday near Guagua Negro, close to the border city of Tulcan, after anti-narcotics officers received an anonymous tip about a suspicious vehicle travelling along the Pan-American Highway. Police stopped and searched the truck and discovered a concealed compartment containing 370 parcels of cocaine. A suspect was arrested during the operation, according to authorities.

Footage released by Ecuadorian police showed officers removing the green-wrapped packages from the hidden compartment. Many of the parcels prominently displayed images of Haaland, although authorities have not said why the Manchester City striker’s likeness was used. Drug trafficking organisations have previously used images, names and symbols associated with well-known personalities on packages to identify shipments or indicate their intended destinations. Haaland is among the most recognisable footballers in the world and has become a prominent figure on social media through his performances and viral presence.

Authorities identified the arrested suspect as a woman named Mara R., who was reportedly carrying Colombian identification documents. Police estimated that the seized cocaine was worth around $842,000 on Ecuador’s domestic market. Its potential value would be significantly higher overseas, with authorities estimating it at more than $11 million in the United States and over $19.6 million in Europe. Haaland is also not the first major football star whose image has reportedly appeared on suspected drug shipments, with Lionel Messi’s likeness previously found on packages seized by authorities.

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The seizure comes amid Ecuador’s growing role as a transit route in the international cocaine trade, with criminal groups using the country to move narcotics towards Central America and overseas markets. Ecuadorian authorities say domestic criminal organisations frequently operate with Colombian and Mexican cartels, while around 80% of cocaine passing through the country is believed to originate in Colombia and the remainder in Peru. Police seized about 80 tonnes of drugs during the first half of this year, following nearly 215 tonnes in 2025 and almost 295 tonnes in 2024, most of it cocaine.

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