Police seize $19m worth of Erling Haaland-branded cocaine in Ecuador

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FT Desk

Police have seized $19.5 million worth of cocaine near Ecuador's border with Colombia.

Why is that a football story, you ask?

Well, the packages containing the cocaine just happened to be emblazoned with the face of Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland.

Police said the driver of the vehicle involved in the shipment was arrested following the seizure of 469kg of cocaine on Wednesday, but authorities are yet to give an explanation as to why the Norwegian's face was on all of the green packages.

Erling Haaland’s name and image turned up on hundreds of cocaine bricks seized by Ecuadorian police near the Colombian border. Officers found 469 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a truck and arrested a Colombian woman. pic.twitter.com/fHChHVcpH3

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 13, 2026

It is believed that Haaland's face was used as a means of identifying a particular shipment that needed to go to a certain criminal network. Drug gangs often use the faces of celebrities or famous sportspeople to differentiate between shipments.

Following an anonymous tip received in the early hours of Tuesday, anti-narcotics officers launched an operation along the Pan-American Highway, according to a news release.

During the operation, authorities stopped a truck they considered suspicious and carried out a search, uncovering 370 packages concealed inside a specially constructed false compartment beneath the vehicle.

Police released a video of the operation and the footage showed the packages with Haaland's face falling out of the back of the truck.

The big Norwegian isn't the first and won't be the last A-lister to have their likeness used in such a way, as Lionel Messi was the victim of having his face used in the past.

CNN reports: "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."

Authorities reported that María R., a woman carrying Colombian identification documents, was taken into custody during Wednesday’s operation. The arrest took place in Guagua Negro, an area near the border city of Tulcan.

Ecuadorian police have reportedly seized 80 tons of drugs in the first half of 2026.

As for Haaland, he has enjoyed an enormous boost in popularity in North America and South America following his exploits at the 2026 World Cup, which took place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.