Indian police recover soccer legend Maradona’s stolen watch

GAUHATI, India (AP) — Police in India’s northeastern state of Assam Saturday said they have recovered a stolen watch that once belonged to the Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona.

Assam state police chief Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said the luxury Hublot watch signed by Maradona was recovered from a man’s possession after he was arrested from his home in the district of Sivasagar, 350 kilometres (217 miles) east of Gauhati, the state capital.

Police said the man was working as a security guard at a company in Dubai that stores the belongings of the legendary Argentinian athlete. It said the man stole the watch last week and returned to India a few days ago.

“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,” police chief Mahanta tweeted.

The state’s top elected official, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said authorities will initiate legal action against the man.

Maradona, 60, died last year of a heart attack following a brain operation. He led Argentina to a 1986 World Cup victory and is considered one of the greatest players ever.