Copyright © africanews

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Ecuadorian police said Wednesday officers seized a shipment of packages containing 369 kilograms (793.664 pounds) of cocaine near the Colombian border. Police said in a statement that anti-narcotics officers were conducting an operation when they spotted a "suspicious" truck.

A search uncovered 370 packages of drugs concealed in a modified section of the vehicle, according to Capt. Ximena Sangolquiza, head of Carchi Anti-Narcotics Unit. Footage released by police showed the packages bearing the image of Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland, who was one of the top scorers and most charismatic players at the recent World Cup in Mexico, the United States and Canada.

His image sparked a wave of viral videos and images around the world. Alongside a picture of Haaland wearing the Norwegian national team jersey, the packages also featured the World Cup trophy and a ball.

Among the packages seized and displayed on the ground by the agents, one could also be seen with the name and image of the captain of the Argentine national team, Lionel Messi.

The official statement made no mention of the reason for the labeling. It is common practice for drug traffickers to put the names of well-known sports figures and other celebrities on their shipments to identify which criminal network produced the merchandise and which client it belongs to, among other reasons.

Police said the truck driver was arrested. The operation took place in an area known as Guagua Negro, near the border city of Tulcán, 246 kilometers (153 miles) north of the capital. Ecuador is considered by authorities to be a logistics hub in the drug-trafficking chain, where drugs are collected, stored and distributed along routes through Central America to the United States and also shipped to Europe.

Local criminal gangs allied with cartels in Colombia and Mexico manage trafficking routes and drug shipments. Authorities say 80% of the narcotics originate in Colombia and the remainder in Peru.