Dolores Aveiro, the mother of Portuguese footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo, was stopped at Madrid’s Barajas airport and found to be carrying €55,000 in cash in her hand luggage.
Spain’s money laundering regulations state that the maximum travellers are allowed to take out of Spain without making a declaration is just €10,000.
The 60-year-old Sra Aveiro, who works as a professional cook, often stays with her high earning son at his mansion near Madrid and was about to fly home to Portugal when airport police searched her hand luggage and discovered the money.
Sra Aveiro could not provide police with the necessary declaration form so the money in excess of €10,000 was confiscated. She then was allowed to fly with a measly €10,000 left in her handbag.
Sra Aveiro can expect a fine of at least €600 for attempting to export cash without the correct documentation but at least then she will get her spending money back.
Cristiano Ronaldo earned an estimated €70 million last year at Real Madrid where he is under a 5-year contract worth more than $200 million which ends in 2018.
