PETALING JAYA: Welsh football star Gareth Bale and his fiancee Emma Rhys-Jones are receiving police protection after a relative vanished with valuables linked to a drug gang.

Emma’s cousin, model Epiphany Dring, 27, was last seen by her family five weeks ago and British police believe she may be in Malaysia, the Daily Mail reported.

According to the report, Bale’s hotel room was being protected by armed police after Dring is believed to have disappeared with a suitcase containing valuables estimated to cost around £1mil (RM5,349,800).

The suitcase is believed to contain watches, drugs and £300,000 (RM1.6mil) in cash.

Emma’s family had been targeted in several arson attacks over the suitcase, which is believed to be linked to a feud with a drug gang.

The Mail reported that cars belonging to Emma’s grandparents and aunt had been torched in North Wales. Two cars belonging to the aunt were set on fire in North Wales. Cars were also burnt outside the house of Emma’s grandparents.

Police in North Wales have charged a 22-year-old man with criminal damage and arrested a 54-year-old woman on suspicion of making threats to kill.

Armed police were stationed outside Bale’s hotel room in Gran Canaria, Spain, before Real Madrid’s game against Las Palmas on Saturday.

London’s The Sun newspaper reported a source as saying: “There were three armed police posted outside the rooms, obviously there to make sure there were no unwanted visitors.

“It was pretty extreme for such a luxury hotel, renowned for its old-fashioned charm.”