Assam police arrested 37-year-old Wazid Hussein and retrieved a limited edition Hublot watch stolen from football legend Diego Armando Maradona’s belongings. Hussein was employed at a place where Maradona used to stay in Dubai. The brilliant but controversial Argentinian captained and won the 1986 Football World Cup, but died in November last year following a heart attack, aged just 60.

Maradona worked with a couple of clubs in the UAE as a manager, once in 2011 and again in 2017. His belongings were stored in Dubai and Hussein had stolen a box containing many of his belongings. Interrogations are underway to try and recover the rest of the loot from Hussein. 

The burglar worked as a security guard for a company in Dubai that had permission to store Maradona’s belongings. Hussein was working there since 2016 and he stole the Rs. 20 lakh worth Hublot watch and other items by breaking into the company’s safe. He then faked his father’s illness and asked his employers to let him go on leave and the unsuspecting management agreed. 

There are conflicting reports as to when the robbery occurred. Some reports mentioned August this year and that he reached Delhi airport on August 15, and then went missing. Others reported that it happened three days ago. The latter seems to be a bit more reliable. 

Hussein is a resident of the Sivasagar district in eastern Assam. Sivasagar Superintendent of Police Rakesh Roushan said that his team retrieved the watch from Hussein’s house after an operation conducted at 4 am on December 11. Hussein was not there but was arrested at his wife’s house in Charaideo district.

Dubai police tipped off their international partners who in turn contacted Assam police. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the recovery of Maradona’s “heritage” Hublot watch. He said that it was the result of international cooperation between the Dubai police and the Assam police through a Bharat-based central law enforcement agency. 

Criminals like Hussein are a blot on our society and will give lakhs of Muslims working all over the Arab world, a bad name. Probably why some ‘mainstream’ media (with vested interests) like the PTI & Malayala Manorama tried to hide the thief’s identity.  

Maradona was well known for his love of watches and was often seen wearing one on both his hands.