Spanish police have seized €45,000 from Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother after she tried to leave the country without declaring the cash, the reports.
Dolores Aveiro was stopped at Madrid Airport and forced to hand the money over after Civil Guard officers discovered the fortune in her hand luggage, leading Spanish daily El Mundo claimed today.
The newspaper said the mother-of-four, who lives between her native Madeira and Madrid, had the cash confiscated in mid-May after being unable to prove its origin.
Ms Aveiro, who helps Ronaldo raise his four-year-old son Cristiano Jr, is said to have been allowed to fly to Portugal with the remaining €10,000 she was carrying.
Travellers entering or leaving Spain with more than €10,000 in cash or cash equivalents have to declare the money under a new anti-money laundering and tax evasion law introduced in 2007.
The declaration has to be made in writing using a form which can be downloaded from the Internet or obtained from Treasury and customs offices.
Cash seized from those who breach the rules is held until they can prove its origin and pay a fine.
Ronaldo’s mother was not arrested and simply detained for a few minutes before being allowed to continue her journey, El Mundo reported.
The breach was described as an ‘administrative error’ rather than a crime.