Iranian police said they arrested a repeat offender who stole a gold wristwatch worth about 5 billion Iranian rials from the home of the Philippine ambassador in Tehran within six hours.

Axar.az reports, citing Iranian media, that the theft was reported on October 4 in Tehran’s Shahrak-e Gharb area. Police identified the suspect after conducting investigative and intelligence operations and arrested him in Islamshahr at around 6 p.m.

Police said the suspect had been hired, along with his wife, to work as a caretaker and look after the family’s child. He used his access to the residence to steal the watch before fleeing.

The stolen watch was recovered during a search of the suspect’s residence.

Police said the suspect had a previous theft conviction. He was arrested in 2023 after stealing property worth about 1 billion rials from a sports club over a six-month period and was sentenced to six months in prison.

The suspect has been handed over to judicial authorities as the investigation continues.