Maradona’s stolen watch worth Rs 2 million recovered from India’s Assam, 1 arrested

A limited-edition Hublot watch that once belonged to the football legend late Diego Maradona was recovered from India’s northeastern Assam state on Saturday morning after it went missing from Dubai.

The watch, worth around Rs 2 million (approx. US $13,206) was allegedly recovered from an Assam resident who used to work in Dubai and had returned to India recently, the Assam Police said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that it was recovered with assistance from Dubai Police. 

“In an act of international cooperation @assampolice has coordinated with @dubaipoliceHQ through Indian federal LEA to recover a heritage @Hublot watch belonging to legendary footballer Late Diego Maradona and arrested one Wazid Hussein. Follow up lawful action is being taken,” he said.

According to police, the accused person was working as a security guard at a company in Dubai in UAE that was storing the belongings of the late Argentinian footballer.

The accused is suspected to be involved in the theft of a safe in which the limited edition Hublot watch was also kept, Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said.

After working for a few days at the company, the accused returned to Assam in August, citing his father’s ill health as the reason.

After Dubai Police reached out to the Assam Police with information about the accused, the cops launched a massive hunt to trace his whereabouts.

Subsequently, Wazi Hussain was arrested from his residence at 4 am and the watch was recovered, he said.

Diego Maradona was seen wearing two Hublot Big Bang watches during the FIFA World Cup 2010 when Hublot launched its Maradona Big Bang Chronograph Limited Edition.

The watch has the football legend’s photo, with arms raised in victory, engraved on the back of the Hublot Big Bang Maradona case. It also has his signatures and jersey number.

(With inputs from agencies)