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

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