Ecuadorian police seized 469 kilograms (1,034 pounds) of cocaine on Wednesday from a truck near the border city of Tulcan, after finding 370 green rectangular packages bearing stickers of Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland hidden in a false bottom of the vehicle, police said.
Ecuador police seize 469 kg of cocaine in truck bearing Erling Haaland stickers near Colombian border
Ecuadorian police seized 469 kilograms (1,034 pounds) of cocaine on Wednesday from a truck near the border city of Tulcan, after finding 370 green rectangular packages bearing stickers of Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland hidden in a false bottom of the vehicle, police said.
Anti-narcotics agents were conducting an operation on the Pan-American Highway in the area of Guagua Negro, approximately 246 kilometers (153 miles) north of the capital Quito, after receiving an anonymous tip early Tuesday morning, according to a police news release. A woman identified only as María R., carrying Colombian identity documents, was arrested in the operation.
Police released a video showing the packages spilling out from the truck's false bottom, with the Haaland stickers clearly visible. The shipment's estimated value is nearly $842,000 on the domestic market, more than $11 million in the United States, and more than $19.6 million (17 million euros) in Europe.
Drug traffickers commonly label shipments with the names or images of well-known sports figures and celebrities as a way of signaling which criminal network produced the merchandise and which client it belongs to, according to the report. Argentine national team captain Lionel Messi's image has also reportedly appeared on at least one other seized package.
Haaland was among the top scorers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Ecuador is described in the source as a logistical hub for drug trafficking, where narcotics are stockpiled and distributed via Central American routes, primarily to the United States, and also to Europe. Local criminal gangs allied with Colombian and Mexican cartels manage the routes, with 80% of narcotics originating in Colombia and the remainder in Peru.
In the first half of this year, Ecuadorian police reported seizing 80 tons of drugs. In 2025, authorities confiscated nearly 215 tons, primarily cocaine. In 2024, the amount seized reached almost 295 tons.
- The source does not state whether the arrested woman, identified only as María R., was the driver of the truck or was present in another capacity.
- The source does not state the intended destination of the seized shipment.
- The source does not identify the criminal network linked to the shipment.
- The source does not state whether Erling Haaland or his representatives were contacted for comment.
- The source does not state what charges, if any, María R. faces.
- The source does not explain how the domestic, U.S., and European market valuations were calculated.
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