A truck driver was arrested after police found 469 kilograms of cocaine with Haaland's picture on the packages.

Police video shows packages with Haaland's picture, but they did not explain why his picture was used. This happened on August 13, 2026.

Drug traffickers often use famous people's names or pictures on their shipments to show who made and owns the drugs.

Police were investigating a tip when they found a suspicious truck and discovered 370 hidden packages. The truck had a false bottom.

A police video shows packages with Haaland's picture falling out of the truck's false bottom.

Haaland was a top player in the World Cup and is known for his fun personality, which inspired many funny videos and memes.

Haaland is not the only football star whose picture has been used by drug smugglers - Lionel Messi's picture was also found on a package.

Ecuador is an important place for drug trafficking, where drugs are stored and sent to other countries, mainly the United States and Europe.

A woman named María R. was arrested in the operation near the border city of Tulcan, which is 246 kilometers north of Quito.

The cocaine shipment is worth almost $842,000 in Ecuador, $11 million in the U.S., and $19.6 million in Europe.

In Ecuador, local gangs work with Colombian and Mexican cartels to manage the drug routes, with most of the drugs coming from Colombia and Peru.

This year, police have seized 80 tons of drugs, and in 2025, they confiscated nearly 215 tons, mostly cocaine.