[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, two lorry drivers have been arrested in Missouri on suspicion of stealing England training equipment worth £13,500, facing a maximum prison sentence of seven years. The stolen items include three signed jerseys (each valued at £3,729) and two England team lion mascot dolls. Salik, 40, and Kamal, 35, were tasked with transporting a trailer loaded with team gear from England’s warm-weather training base in Florida to their new camp in Kansas, a 21-hour drive. The pair stopped in Columbia, Missouri, roughly 150 miles short of their destination, Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, and took away football boots, jerseys, match balls and other training equipment. However, they claimed an unnamed FA official had “invited” them to take the items. Each man has been charged with receiving stolen property, an offence carrying a custodial term ranging from one to seven years, and they are currently in custody. Court documents reveal the suspects were uncovered when an FA staff member at Swope Soccer Village noticed the securing straps for the shipment had been untied.
The editor believes that the Football Association has officially stated that all stolen property has been recovered, and this incident is unlikely to disrupt England’s preparations for the World Cup.