Police in Spain have reportedly arrested two people, including Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas’ housekeeper, on suspicion of stealing five designer watches worth £175,000 from his Madrid home.
The unnamed woman is said to have tried to dupe the former Spain goalkeeper by substituting original timepieces for cheap imitations.
According to the Spanish press, the other person police have held works as a security guard at the upmarket estate where the 44-year-old lives.
Casillas reportedly called in police after discovering the ruse before police set a trap for the suspect and arrested her after she fell for it.
Respected Telecinco TV show El Programa de Ana Rosa said on Friday: ‘Police have already handed the suspects over to the courts. They wanted the watches to sell them for parts.
‘Iker is shocked by the great trust he had in those two people who worked in his home.’
Pozuelo IN, who cover the upmarket municipality of Pozuelo de Alarcon where Casillas lives, said: ‘The arrested individuals, who have already been brought before the courts in Pozuelo, devised a plan to steal the watches without arousing suspicion.
‘They replaced the originals with cheap imitations. Among the stolen items are several gold Rolex watches valued at more than €50,000 (around £43,500) each, although investigators do not rule out that the total value of the stolen goods may be much higher.
‘The couple did not sell the watches as they were, but dismantled them to sell the parts separately, which made them difficult to trace.
‘It was Casillas himself who, after noticing irregularities in some of his watches, one of his great hobbies, alerted the police and triggered an investigation that has culminated in the arrests.’
It added: ‘Casillas kept his collection in different rooms of his home, without a detailed inventory.
‘His love of luxury watches is well known, and he has even collaborated on campaigns for specialist brands. Upon discovering the counterfeits, the former goalkeeper filed a complaint, and the police began discreetly monitoring his home environment.
‘Suspicions soon fell on the employee, who knew exactly where the collection was located and how many items it contained.
‘In a controlled operation, the officers prepared a trap that allowed them to confirm their suspicions.
‘At the couple’s home, investigators found fragments of dismantled watches and parts matching models in Casillas’ collection.’
Police are understood to have taken statements from Casillas as well as his journalist ex-wife Sara Carbonero as part of their investigation.
The Spanish goalkeeper, who is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in footballing history, made 510 appearances during his 16 years with Real Madrid before signing for Porto.
He announced his retirement from professional football in August 2020 following a heart attack in May 2019 while training with Porto.