October 26th 2024.
Former Chelsea and England footballer, Frank Lampard, was taken aback when he learned that his face had been found in pictures related to a massive drug bust in Australia. The ex-midfielder, who is widely respected in the football community, was shocked to hear that images of him giving a thumbs up had been discovered on £38 million worth of drugs seized by the Australian Federal Police.
The pictures in question were taken during a lap of honor at Stamford Bridge in 2017 and can be found on Lampard's Wikipedia page. The drugs were found in two duffel bags, each containing bricks of 'ice meth' with the former footballer's face stamped on them. The arrest of Richard Prothero, who is believed to be a trafficker, was made in the car park of Sydney's Maroubra Surf Club.
Prothero, who is 37 years old, was charged with attempting to possess a large quantity of border-controlled drugs and was denied bail during his court appearance. The 95kg shipment of methamphetamine was traced back to Los Angeles before ending up in east Sydney. It is important to note that Lampard had no involvement whatsoever in this drugs ring.
When approached by The Sun for comment, Lampard was at a loss for words. "Yeah, you probably know my answer on that one," he said outside his home in west London. "What am I gonna say about that? I'm not aware of it. I don't even know what to say to you, to be honest. I've literally no comment on that."
According to reports, the drug producer may be a fan of Chelsea, which could explain why Lampard's face was used on the drugs. However, this has not been confirmed. It is believed that the image of Lampard has become a trademark of the criminal gang involved in supplying the illegal substance.
Detective Chief Superintendent Kristie Cressy of the Australian Federal Police released a statement regarding the incident, saying, "Methamphetamine, like all illicit drugs, causes psychological, financial, and social harm to users, their loved ones, and the broader community. Criminals do not care about the harm they cause. They are motivated by the profits they can make."
She went on to explain the impact that drug-related hospitalizations have on the health system and how it negatively affects the entire community. Cressy also praised the investigators for their relentless efforts in making Australia a hostile environment for organized crime.
This is not the first time a well-known footballer's image has been used without their permission. Lampard's former Chelsea and England teammate, John Terry, took legal action against Golden Flake in 2012 when his face and torso were used on packets of Indian cigarettes without his consent. Terry publicly expressed his disgust at the company's actions, stating that he hates smoking.
Since his interim spell as Chelsea manager ended in 2023, Lampard has been out of a job. However, he has been keeping busy with various punditry roles for the BBC, TNT Sports, and Amazon Prime. Meanwhile, Chelsea fans can stay updated with all the latest news, exclusives, and analysis by signing up for updates. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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