Two duffel bags were seized by the Australian Federal Police and each and every brick – containing ‘ice meth’ – had bizarrely been stamped with photos of a suited-up Lampard giving a thumbs up.
The picture in question was taken while Lampard was giving a lap of honour at Stamford Bridge back in 2017 and appears on the former midfielder’s Wikipedia page.
Richard Prothero, an alleged trafficker, was arrested at gunpoint during the enormous haul, which occurred in the car park of Sydney’s Maroubra Surf Club.
The 37-year-old was subsequently charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs. He made no application for bail while appearing in court.
The 95kg shipment of methamphetamine had been tracked from Los Angeles, before it wound up in east Sydney.
It goes without saying that Lampard, who was capped 106 times by the England national team, had no involvement whatsoever in the drugs ring and the 46-year-old could hardly believe his eyes when shown snaps from the incident.
‘Yeah, you probably know my answer on that one,’ a baffled Lampard 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.’
According to reports Down Under, the drug producer in question may be a Chelsea supporter which could explain why Lampard’s face had been plastered all over the stash.
It is believed the image of Lampard may be a trademark of the criminal gang supplying the illegal substance.
‘Methamphetamine, like all illicit drugs, causes psychological, financial and social harm to users, their loved ones and the broader community,’ Australian Federal Police Detective Chief Superintendent Kristie Cressy said in a statement.
‘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 – which equates to more than 27 every day on average.
‘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.’
Back in 2012, Lampard’s former Chelsea and England team-mate, John Terry, sought legal action against Golden Flake after images of his face and torso were used on packets of Indian cigarettes.
A spokesman for Elite Management, the firm representing Terry, insisted the Indian government has sought no permission to use the picture.
‘Disgusting from this company Gold Flake using my image on their cigarettes,’ the ex-Three Lions captain told his followers on social media at the time. I hate smoking!’
Lampard, widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders of his generation, has been out of a job since his interim spell as Chelsea manager came to an end at the conclusion of the 2022/23 season.
He has, though, worked in various punditry roles for the BBC, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime in recent months.
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