Almost half a ton of cocaine bearing Erling Haaland's image was seized in Ecuador. Video

Almost half a ton of cocaine containing an image of Erling Haaland was confiscated in Ecuador.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan – Podrobno.uz News Agency.

Ecuadorian police seized 469 kilograms of cocaine packaged in 370 bricks. Each brick bore an image of Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland. The drugs were found in a hidden compartment in a truck stopped near the Colombian border.

According to the Associated Press, citing police, law enforcement received an anonymous tip about a suspicious truck. The vehicle was stopped on the Pan-American Highway. A search revealed a specially designed hiding place in the truck's underbody, from which bricks containing the drug were recovered.

Drug traffickers often use the names and images of famous athletes and other celebrities to mark their shipments. Such markings can be used to identify a criminal group or a specific recipient of the shipment.

The value of the seized shipment on the Ecuadorian domestic market is estimated at nearly $842,000. Its value in the United States could exceed $11 million, and in Europe, $19.6 million.

Ecuador is a key logistical hub for the drug trade. Drugs are stockpiled and transported through Central American countries, primarily to the United States, as well as to Europe. According to police, approximately 80% of the cocaine entering the country is produced in Colombia, with the remainder originating in Peru.

Earlier, two Uzbek citizens were arrested in Tashkent for attempting to import nearly seven kilograms of mephedrone from Thailand, concealed in wine bottles. Hashish oil and solvents were later found in their possession. The intended recipient of this shipment was arrested with 635 grams of Alpha-PVP.