Police investigations began last February following the formal complaint filed by the athlete. He reported being deceived after putting a lot of exclusive properties up for sale through commercial channels, which included accessories, fine jewelry, clothing, and a luxury car.

The total value of the goods offered amounted to €340,000. The collection of personal items was valued at €160,000, comprising four luxury watches, three gold rings with diamonds, and nine designer clothing pieces. The high-performance car was independently valued at €180,000.

After expressing interest, the network contacted the player and arranged two meetings. The first meeting was to examine the items, while the second was intended to finalize the payment. During this latter meeting, the buyers handed the footballer a bag supposedly containing the agreed-upon cash.

Upon returning home and meticulously checking the contents, the forward discovered that the vast majority of the money consisted of crude counterfeit reproductions, with only a negligible amount of legal tender.

The investigation allowed law enforcement to track down the alleged perpetrators. The operation concluded on May 11th with the arrest of two 29-year-old men—one of French nationality and another of Belgian origin—at a hotel in Madrid. The police force also maintains the identification of other individuals allegedly linked to the same criminal scheme.