In Ecuador, police have seized 469 kilograms of cocaine packed into 370 bricks bearing the image of Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland. The drugs were discovered in a hidden compartment of a truck near the border with Colombia.

According to the Associated Press, citing police data, law enforcement received an anonymous tip about a suspicious truck and stopped it on the Pan-American Highway. During the search, a specially equipped hideout in the floor was found, from which the drug bricks were extracted.

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

The value of the seized batch is estimated at nearly $842,000 on Ecuador's domestic market. In the United States, its value could exceed $11 million, and in Europe – $19.6 million.

Ecuador is considered one of the key logistics hubs for drug trafficking: drugs are stored and shipped through Central American countries primarily to the US, as well as to Europe. According to police, about 80% of the cocaine entering the country is produced in Colombia, with the rest coming from Peru.

Earlier, in Tashkent, two Uzbek citizens were detained attempting to import nearly seven kilograms of mephedrone from Thailand in wine bottles. Later, hashish oil and solvents were found on them, and the alleged recipient of the shipment was detained with 635 grams of Alpha-PVP.

Source: podrobno.uz