One of the suspected burglars at Karim Benzema’s home last January in Madrid was arrested as he was about to cross the border into France, Spanish police informed on Friday. “The national police have arrested a man, the alleged perpetrator of the theft committed at the beginning of the year at the home of a famous football player”, writes the police in a press release.
A police spokesman confirmed to AFP that the footballer was Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, whose home was robbed on January 23 in San Sebastián de los Reyes, on the outskirts of Madrid. The thieves had taken advantage of the fact that the French international was playing a match in the Spanish championship that day.
The suspect was located early Thursday morning, “as he was preparing to leave our country by the border of La Jonquera” (Catalonia), then was imprisoned, said the police, who remained “in permanent contact” with his French counterpart during the investigation.
According to the same source, the alleged accomplices of the burglar have been identified. Karim Benzema is one of many football players who have been robbed. In October 2019, the Guardia Civil and Europol dismantled a network of thieves who mainly attacked Atlético and Real Madrid players. At the time, Karim Benzema had already been among the victims.