Miami (AP) In light of recent high-profile break-ins at the homes of Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr., and Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis, the NBA is advising its players to take extra security measures.
The NBA disclosed that the FBI has linked certain burglaries to transnational South American Theft Groups, which are allegedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that use cutting-edge tactics and technologies like pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices, in a memo it sent to its team officials, a copy of which The Associated Press was able to obtain.
When Conley was at a Minnesota Vikings game on September 15, his home was broken into, and jewelry was taken, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. A prize of $40,000 has been offered by Portis for information regarding the Nov. 2 break-in at his residence. According to law enforcement reports, Mahomes and Kelce’s residences were broken into within days of one another last month. This week, the NFL sent out a similar cautionary message to its teams.
According to the NBA document, which cited FBI evidence, the main targets of the theft rings are money and goods that can be resold on the black market, like watches, jewelry, and high-end purses.
The NBA, which has also been advising team security staff, advised players to install modern, camera-equipped alarm systems and use them whenever they leave the house, to keep valuables in locked, secure safes, to avoid online real estate listings that might display interior photos of a house, to hire protective guard services when traveling far from home, and even to have dogs help keep the house safe.
Mahomes recently stated, “Obviously, it’s frustrating and disappointing, but I can’t get into too many details because the investigation is still ongoing.” However, it’s something you certainly don’t want to happen to anyone, even yourself.
On October 7, a game day, one of the Chiefs players’ break-ins occurred, and Portis was playing when his house was broken into.
Portis claimed that the majority of his valuable belongings were taken.
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NBA of America: https://apnews.com/NBA
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