Former Chelsea and England footballer Frank Lampard was left nearly speechless after learning that images of his face were discovered in a £38 million drug bust in Australia.
The Australian Federal Police seized two duffel bags containing ‘ice meth,’ with each brick bizarrely stamped with a picture of a suited Lampard giving a thumbs up.
The image, which shows Lampard during a lap of honour at Stamford Bridge in 2017, is also featured on his Wikipedia page. The bust resulted in the arrest of Richard Prothero, an alleged trafficker, who was taken into custody at gunpoint in the car park of Sydney’s Maroubra Surf Club.
Prothero, 37, faces charges for attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs and did not apply for bail during his court appearance. The 95-kilogram shipment of methamphetamine was tracked from Los Angeles before arriving in eastern Sydney.
Lampard, who earned 106 caps for the England national team, had no involvement in the drug operation and expressed his disbelief upon seeing the photos from the incident. “Yeah, you probably know my answer on that one,” he told The Sun outside his west London home. “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.”
Reports suggest that the drug producer may be a Chelsea supporter, which could explain the use of Lampard’s image on the stash. It is believed that the image could serve as a trademark for the criminal gang involved in the operation.
Australian Federal Police Detective Chief Superintendent Kristie Cressy commented on the issue, stating, “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.
Across Australia, there were 10,100 methamphetamine-related hospitalisations in 2021-2022—an average of more than 27 every day.
This has an impact on the health system that can negatively affect the entire community.
Investigations like this show the resolve and relentlessness of our investigators in making Australia a hostile environment for organised crime.”
In a similar incident in 2012, Lampard’s former Chelsea and England teammate, John Terry, sought legal action against Golden Flake after his likeness appeared on packets of Indian cigarettes without permission.
Terry condemned the use of his image, stating on social media, “Disgusting from this company Gold Flake using my image on their cigarettes. I hate smoking!”
Lampard, widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders of his generation, has been without a managerial role since his interim spell as Chelsea manager ended at the conclusion of the 2022/23 season.
However, he has engaged in various punditry roles for the BBC, TNT Sports, and Amazon Prime in recent months.
