By Shaun Murphy-
Flashy Amir Khan had cameras flashing at him as he posed for pictures at a restaurant which would lead to him being robbed at gun point in East London on Tuesday.
Once Britain’s boxing darling, Amir Khan revealed he had posed for pictures with a number of people at the Sahara Hill restaurant at Leyton where he met to break his Ramadan fast. His wife also confirmed that her husband would pose for photos with anyone, but this time, with his glitzty watch featuring in so many of the pictures circulating on social media, some criminal developed ideas to corner the well known boxer, and seek to convert his watch for cash in their own selfish and warped interest.
Khan, who wore a diamond-encrusted custom watch by designer Franck Muller, worth an estimated £72,000, was cornered at gun point by two men- onw pointing the gun to his face, another a short distance away also pointing a gun towards the boxer, in case he contemplated any heroic action to prevent the calculated robbery, and his watch immediately seized from him.
His glamarous wife, Faryal Markydoom, was a few yards behind him when the incident occurred, and outrightly condemned the attackers on social media, after posting CCTC images of the suspected robbers on instagram.
Amir, who has appeared on several instagram posts with the watch on his wrist, is under no doubt that the robbery was an inside job, and has already made a criminal complaint to the Metropolitan police. Hours earlier a he had posted a picture of himself with the watch on in Oxford Street.
The boxer, who has his own namesake charity foundation, was also wearing the watch in an Instagram post from a fundraising event the night before, meaning the expensive watch had been doing the rounds on instagram and attracting the attention of criminal minds. Further pictures at the Sahara Grill restaurant in Leyton was the tipping point for crooks connected to him somehow on instagram, or through mutual acquaintances.
”I was in a restaurant taking pictures with a lot of people. I’ve never said no for a picture whenever someone wants to come for a picture,” Khan continued. “Someone must’ve recognized that watch.
Khan posed for a social media photo earlier on Tuesday with his watch on
Giving a detailed account of his ordeal to TMZ”, he said: ”I was wearing a really expensive watch which is worth like maybe $100,000. I think that news must’ve traveled a little bit. So, I do think that somehow it was set up. Maybe the news just went to the wrong people, and they knew I had a watch there.”
Khan, who has faced criticism for flaunting his wealth in the past, may have been target by crooks who find him too flashy.
In December 2020, Amir Khan was heavily criticized for flaunting his wealth after bragging on social media that he had just bought a luxurious family holiday home in Dubai during the height of the pandemic.
The 34-year-old former world champion from Bolton, Greater Manchester, shared photographs of himself, standing outside and a walk-through video of the mansion.
One social media user at the time, Wasif Khan, posted: ‘Be humble in these times and think about those who are less privileged.’ And Abdullah Ibrahim added: ‘Wasif, you nailed it brother.’
Another social media user , Omer Helvacioglu, said: ‘You need to lay off social media for a bit brother all you do is brag about things you have just bought or places you go. Stay humble.’
Only a week earlier, the boxer had been criticised for showing off his fleet of flash cars, including a £300,000 red Lamborghini Aventador and a £350,000 black Rolls Royce Phantom , including his £100,000 Richard Mille 32 designer watch on social media. He was criticized for the public showcase at a time when unemployment in the Uk was high and morale was low.
Many of his critics will say the robbery of his watch was a long time coming, but there is still no justification for anybody to forcefully take property that does not belong to them. If caught, the boxer’s attackers are likely to have a big examole made of them by a judge.
Khan lost a long awaited clash with Kell Brook in February , after being stopped in 7 brutal rounds. Against the robbers, he had no real fighting chance, given the difference it could have had on the outcome of life and death,
A police investigation has begun into the matter, with a statement saying: “At this very early stage there have been no arrests. An investigation has begun and police are following a number of enquiries.”