Iran bank chief flying to Germany 'caught with £45m cheque'

Monday 04 February 2013 01:00 GMT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A man caught trying to enter Germany with a cheque worth about £44.5m was Iran's former central bank chief, it was reported yesterday.

The German newspaper Bild am Sonntag said customs officers at Dusseldorf airport found the cheque in Tahmasb Mazaheri's luggage on 21 January upon his arrival from Turkey.

German customs issued a statement saying a cheque for 300m bolivars issued by the Bank of Venezuela was found on an unnamed 59-year-old man.

Neither customs nor Iran's embassy could be reached for comment last night. Mr Mazaheri was the governor of the Central Bank of Iran until 2008.

Bild am Sonntag said German police were investigating possible money laundering. AP

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

0Comments

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Thank you for registering

Iran bank chief flying to Germany 'caught with £45m cheque'

Join our commenting forum

Thank you for registering