This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
Former Arsenal player Nwankwo Kanu, 41, had over £8,000 in cash stolen from his suitcase at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after arriving from London.
According to Russian police, the money was taken by two loaders who were handling baggage from a London to Moscow flight.
On June 4, 2018, Kanu reported the missing cash when he reached Kaliningrad, where he was playing in a World Cup curtain raiser game organised by FIFA.
Speaking to the media in Kaliningrad, Kanu praised the city and its people, saying, 'Kaliningrad is a very nice city with very nice people.'
He also expressed his excitement about the FIFA World Cup, stating, 'The FIFA World Cup is the greatest football tournament on the planet – every team dreams of being part of it and I am sure it will be a very special event in Russia.'
His teammate, ex-Manchester United and England star Wes Brown, also shared his thoughts on the city, saying, 'As soon as you get off the plane here, you can see that Russia is a beautiful part of the world.'
On the theft, Lieutenant colonel Irina Volk, spokeswoman for the Russian Interior Ministry, said, 'The stolen cash was removed (from the loaders) and will soon be returned to the owner.'
The loaders, aged 30 and 36, face a criminal investigation and could be sent to jail for up to six years.
