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Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland’s face has appeared on television screens, trading cards and adverts around the world, The Telegraph reports.
Nonetheless, narcotics police were no doubt a little surprised to come across the Manchester City striker’s image when they seized hundreds of green packets filled with cocaine in a truck in Ecuador.
Each of the 370 packages, which were hidden in a concealed compartment in the vehicle and would be worth an estimated £14.5m if sold in Europe, was decorated with a sticker showing Haaland’s face, plus the World Cup and a football.
The driver of the vehicle was arrested following the seizure of the 469kg of cocaine near the Colombian border on Wednesday.
Haaland, already popular in Europe thanks to his affable character and remarkable scoring record, vaulted to global fame after scoring seven goals for Norway in four World Cup matches in July, and launching a YouTube channel.
It is thought his face may have been used by drug traffickers as a way of labelling their shipment or signalling which criminal network produced the merchandise.
A police press release said anti-narcotics agents became suspicious of the truck while carrying out an operation on the Pan-American Highway following an anonymous tip-off.
There is no suggestion the shipment was linked to Haaland, whose most recent video on YouTube was titled: “Is Erling Haaland having the best summer ever?”
Haaland, who reportedly earns £500,000 a week at Manchester City, has commercial deals with Nike, Qatar Airways, Dolce & Gabbana, Samsung and Red Bull.
The Norwegian, whose side were knocked out of the World Cup by England, is not the only footballer apparently favoured by drug smugglers. Previously, the image of Lionel Messi, the Argentine national team captain, has been found on seized shipments.
Ecuador is considered to be a logistical hub for drug trafficking. Drugs are stockpiled, stored and distributed via Central American routes, mainly to the US, but also to Europe.
