Spanish police have busted a gang suspected of breaking into footballer’s homes – including a host of former Premier League stars – while they are on the pitch and a Champions League medal was recovered.
Spanish online newspaper “eldiario.es” report a source close to an investigation conducted by the Spanish Civil Guard in Madrid revealed authorities arrested four suspects on Thursday 17th October in Toledo in the autonomous community of Castille-La Mancha in central Spain.
In the report, eldiario claim the suspects were found in a home in Toledo. Three other homes were searched in Madrid where several items which the victims had reported stolen were allegedly found.
Among the footballers affected are Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Kevin Prince-Boateng, Samuel Umtiti (all Barcelona), Isco, Karim Benzema, (Real Madrid), Alvaro Morata, Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid), Joaquin, William Carvalho (Real Betis), Ezequiel Garay, Gabriel Paulista (Valencia), Ramiro Funes Mori (Villareal), ex-Barcelona and Real Madrid star Luis Figo and Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.
Police reportedly found “10,000 EUR cash, valuables reported as stolen by the victims and a second-place Champions League medal belonging to Atletico Madrid star Thomas Partey”.
According to ‘eldiario’ all the suspects are of Albanian origin and are thought to be part of a gang. The men are suspected of robbing homes with people inside, robbing motor vehicles, falsifying documents and procuring stolen goods.
The source reportedly claimed there is a fifth member of the gang who is thought to be out of the European Union which would mean the Spanish police need to file for an international arrest warrant.
Eldiario report “transmitting equipment and other material to avoid detection from security cameras in the homes” were also found along with the stolen merchandise.
When contacted by Golder’s News and Sport, a Spanish Civil Guard spokesman said: “I cannot yet comment on this case”.
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Story By: Juan Mayes , Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Golder’s News And Sport
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