KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Kansas City police arrested two San Antonio brothers who are accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of soccer gear from a FIFA World Cup team last Friday ahead of the tournament.
Mustafa Salik, 40, and Erfan Kamal, 35, were charged with receiving stolen property, a Class D felony under Missouri law, and potentially could be behind bars for one to seven years, according to the Jackson County courthouse.
A trailer containing England National Team’s gear and memorabilia arrived at Swope Soccer Complex in Kansas City around 5 p.m. on Friday, and logistics workers noticed some items were missing, according to an affidavit.
Kamal, the driver of the trailer, was asked to inspect the items on the trailer but refused. The affidavit states someone threatened to call police, and the brothers responded by returning the items.
The affidavit stated the England national team reported missing items totaling an estimated amount of $18,145, including:
- Nine pairs of cleats
- Three jerseys
- One World Cup soccer ball
- One pair of goalkeeper’s gloves
- Four shorts
- Twelve shirts
- Two lion stuffed animals
- Power strips
- One JBL speaker
- One LEGO set of a Nike Air shoe
After returning the gear, the brothers fled the scene. The workers called police and the trucking company to report them.
Kamal and Salik returned to the complex and were named suspects of the crime, the Kansas City Police Department said.
Kamal stated he and his brother, Salik, worked for Vista Trans Holding, a trucking company, and traveled from Florida for a load.
Salik stated when laborers were loading the truck, he “observed one of the (Vista Trans) laborers stealing some shoes” and contacted two employees, according to Kansas City PD.
An unnamed employee “said it was okay” and that an unnamed person “gave them permission to take what they wanted,” the affidavit stated.
Kamal told police, through a translator, that he believed he had permission to take the items. According to police, Salik alleged the same thing.
“Jackson County will not tolerate any criminal activity that targets World Cup visitors, including the international teams that have traveled here to compete,” Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said in a news release.
Both Kamal and Salik were taken to the Jackson County Detention Center on Saturday, and both carry a $75,000 bond, the affidavit stated.
England’s first match in the World Cup is in Dallas against Croatia on Wednesday.
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