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A man who fled from Dubai after stealing a limited edition Hublot watch bearing the signature of football legend Diego Maradona was arrested in eastern Assam on Saturday.
Assam Police arrested Wazid Hussain after a request was made by Dubai police to Indian law enforcement authorities to apprehend the fugitive.
The watch face of the limited edition Hublot watch bears the signature and jersey number of Maradona, and the back shows the silhouette of the man, both hands held aloft in celebration.
‘A costly Hublot watch… Maradona… Dubai… Assam Police Looks like random words, don’t they? But today all these words came together nicely, stating a story of successful International Cooperation between #DubaiPolice and @assampolice,’ Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, Assam’s director general of police, tweeted on Saturday.
The limited edition watch has been recovered from Hussain, Mahanta tweeted. ‘The watch belonged to the legendary football player himself, which was being stored in Dubai along with other belongings in a safe,’ the police chief said in the tweet.
The prompt action by state police drew prise from chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. ‘In an act of international cooperation, Assam Police has coordinated with Dubai Police through Indian federal LEA to recover a heritage Hublot watch belonging to legendary footballer late Diego Maradona and arrested one Wazid Hussein,’ Sarma tweeted. ‘Follow up lawful action is being taken.’
Hussein was arrested from the home of his in-laws in Charaideo district early Saturday morning, Sivasagar police superintendent Rakesh Raushan told HT.
Police conducted a search on Friday night, but Wazid was not at his home in Sivasagar, Raushan said. ‘We arrested him from Charaideo district, and based on the information he shared, we managed to recover the stolen watch from his residence,’ Raushan said.
Hussain worked as a guard at a private company in Dubai, which was in charge of security of a location where Maradona’s belongings have been stored, police said. In August, Hussain returned to India, citing the ill-health of his father.
‘As per the information we received, Wazid Hussian was working as a security guard at a company in Dubai in UAE (United Arab Emirates) since 2016,’ a police officer said, requesting anonymity. ‘The company stores the belongings of the late Argentinian footballer. Before returning back home in August, he stole the watch.’
Hussain had thus far not revealed how he managed to steal the watch and bring it into India. He did not sell the watch, afraid of getting caught given how distinctive the watch was, police said.
There is a possibility that Hussain might be sent to Dubai to face consequences of his act. ‘But the decision will be taken by higher agencies,’ Raushan said.
