A bus normally used to transport Brazilian football club São Paulo FC was stopped by police in Bolivia after authorities discovered more than 86kg of marijuana on board.
The incident occurred in Villa Tunari in central Bolivia while the club was in the country for its Copa Sudamericana round-of-16 match against Bolivian side Bolívar.
No São Paulo players were on the bus when it was stopped, although the vehicle, which displayed the club’s colors and logo, had reportedly been scheduled to transport the team later that day.
During a search, police discovered 65 rectangular packages stored inside shopping bags. Tests confirmed that the packages contained cannabis weighing more than 86kg in total. Three people were arrested in connection with the incident.
Cosmos, the transport company responsible for the bus, distanced São Paulo FC from the case and said the club had not used the vehicle. The company stated that another bus was ultimately assigned to the players and placed responsibility for the incident on the Bolivian drivers.
A replacement vehicle transported the team as planned, and the players reportedly did not learn about the drug discovery until after completing their journey.