Peruvian police seize 1,417 kilos of Messi-branded cocaine

Argentina's battle against Chile stands out above the rest of Thursday's 2018 World Cup qualifiers in South America, but Lionel Messi found himself making headlines in Peru prior to the high-stakes game.

The Policia Nacional del Peru's Direccion Ejecutiva Antidrogas published a statement on Friday, announcing the seizure of 1,417 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride that was found in 1,282 packages inside cuttlefish containers belonging to Valle de Oro Peru SAC. Some of the packages had photographs of Messi's face, while others were black and labelled with the word "REY" and the seal of the king of Spain.

The seized cocaine was destined for Belgium and North America, and, by La Republica's estimation, valued at $85 million. The operation was carried out by the Primera Fiscalia de Drogas del Callao.

In 2016, The Global Initiative, which works against transnational and organised crime, said Peru and Colombia are the largest cocaine producers in the world.