MADRID: Police seized £32,700 (€45,000) from Cristiano Ronaldo’s mum after she tried to leave Spain without declaring the cash.
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 this morning.
The newspaper said the mum-of-four, who lives between her native Madeira and Madrid, had the cash confiscated after being unable to prove its origin.
Dolores, who helps Cristiano raise his four-year-old son Cristiano Jr, is said to have been allowed to fly to Portugal with the remaining £7,280 (€10,000) she was carrying.
The incident reportedly happened in mid-May.
GettyCristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United celebrates winning the Barclays Premier League trophy with his mother, Dolores AveiroHappier times: Ronaldo celebrates a Premier League title win with his mother
A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Madrid, asked if it was true that officers had confiscated €45,000 from Ronaldo’s mum, said: “This woman was stopped and money she was carrying taken and handed over to the Spanish tax authorities along with a report filed by the Civil Guard.
“She will now have to answer to the tax authorities.
“My understanding is she will be asked to pay a fine and will have to justify the origin of the money if she wants it back. It’s not a matter that we’ll get involved in.”
A spokesman for the Agencia Tributaria, Spain’s equivalent of the Inland Revenue, said: “We can’t comment on individual cases.
“We can confirm though that the limit on moving cash or cash equivalents to and from Spain is €10,000 and anything over that amount must be declared using the correct form.”
