Ex-West Ham footballer jailed after attempting to sell £1.9m antique vase stolen during heist at Switzerland museum

A FORMER West Ham player who tried to help sell a £1.9million antique vase stolen during a heist at a Switzerland museum has been jailed.

Kaine Wright, 26, was caught in an undercover police sting along with accomplices Leslie Nkhwa, 47, and David Lamming, 31.

The “rare pomegranate vase from the Yongle Period (1403-1425AD)” was stolen during a raid at the Musee des Arts d’Extreme-Orient in Geneva in June 2019.

The trio attempted to flog it for £1million but later dropped the price to £450,000 in cash.

It had been valued by experts for insurance purposes at £1.96million.

Wright and Lamming were today jailed for three years after they were convicted of conspiracy to convert criminal property.

Nkhwa, who pleaded guilty to the same charge, was handed a two-and-a-half year sentence.

Southwark Crown Court heard the plot unfolded on July 30, 2020, when a man called Mr Steel emailed the China Guardian auction house in Hong Kong asking for a valuation.

The seller, later identified as Lamming, included photos of the item, which were compared with the stolen vase.

Lamming also emailed the Art Loss Register based in Hatton Garden saying he was in touch with someone who had a vase that had been stolen from Switzerland.

This caused police to launch an undercover sting operation using an officer named Paul.

He received an email from Lamming with photos of the vase but without a newspaper alongside it to show the date.

This caused Wright to text Nkhwa, saying: “Also to be fair I don’t even believe they have s**t anymore…does it even exist the fact that in a week and a half they can’t take a picture.

“If it’s this hard just to get someone to take a picture when he actually flies in to buy it will be a joke…this people are not reliable waste of time [sic].

“Honestly bro if you can’t get it today I just gonna tell the buyer its gone he is willing to pay the money…and I can’t be f***ed to mess around wasting my time when no one is serious about selling it…I guess they keep it forever for no reason.

“Yh its dumb shout me in the morning…like they already had it a long time and can’t sell it so makes no sense lol. Unless they don’t want money. Going sleep now.”

The court heard a series of meetings were carried out between Lamming and a second undercover officer named Richard, including one at Delfino’s Restaurant in Mayfair on October 7.

They “shook hands” on a deal for £450,000 and agreed the exchange would take place at the five star Marriott Hotel six days later.

Police then arrested Nkhwa and Lamming before detaining Wright, who accepts driving them to the hotel.

Giving evidence, Wright claimed Nkwha had approached him and asked if he could help flog the vase.

He added: “I said no. Most of my friends are sportsmen, they play for England. No one knows what to do for a vase.

“I suggested he should list it online.

“I think it was on behalf of someone else.”

But sentencing, Judge Martin Griffith branded the ex-footballer a “Jekyll and Hyde character” who had undoubtedly “lied” on the stand.

Wright and Nkhwa deny one count of conspiracy to convert criminal property between 31 July 2020 and 15 October 2020, while Lamming has admitted the charge.

The footballer played for both West Ham and Brentford’s youth team as a midfielder.

After leaving the Premier League clubs, Wright moved to Major League Soccer in America.

In 2019, he represented England in the Socca six-a-side World Cup.

He also played in front of PSG star Neymar Jr in the footballer’s Five World Finals competition in 2017.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk