Story by Amos Murphy
A huge stash of marijuana was found inside a bus branded for Brazilian football team Sao Paulo during a trip to Bolivia. The club were travelling to their South American neighbours for a Copa Sudamericana round-of-16 match, which is their equivalent of the Europa League.
The match finished 1-1, with a second-half goal from Bolivar levelling things up for the home side. The two will reconvene next week for the second leg, but it was off the pitch where the biggest storyline came.
The Bolivian police reportedly found 80kg of marijuana on a bus that was branded in the colours of Sao Paulo. The transportation company responsible insisted the team were not using that specific vehicle, adding that the blame lay squarely on the local coach drivers.
In a statement, they said: “Sao Paulo team did not use this bus; another one was assigned to them. We wish to clarify that the Bolivian drivers bear full responsibility.”
The bus is said to have initially been the one that the squad were planning to use before it was searched overnight by the police. Officers stopped it at Villa Tunari in the Cochabamba department in central Bolivia, an area known for coca production.
During the search, the police are said to have found 65 rectangular packages containing a greenish substance, with tests later confirming it was marijuana. Shopping bags were used to hide the produce, with investigations into the saga ongoing.
Three individuals were arrested for their involvement and connection to the operation, but it didn’t impact the game taking place. The Brazilian outfit took the lead midway through the first half, but were pegged back just after the hour mark.
On the pitch at least, their biggest issue was the altitude in La Paz. It is notoriously difficult for players to compete in, with the Bolivian capital around 3,600 metres above sea level.
Speaking after one of his many qualifying matches with Argentina against Bolivia, Lionel Messi remarked: “It is terrible to play here at altitude, so a draw is a good result for us. Every time you make an effort or play at high pace, you need time to recover. Some of the players had a headache and others felt a bit dizzy, but there was nothing wrong with me.”
