MADRID: The mother of Cristiano Ronaldo, the highest-paid footballer in the world, was stopped by Spain’s civil guard from returning home to Portugal with 55,000 euros in her handbag, it emerged on Monday.

Dolores Aveiro, the Real Madrid star’s 61-year-old mother, had been waiting to take a flight out of Madrid late April when her hand luggage was inspected and the cash discovered, a spokeswoman for the Civil Guard said.

The 55,000 euros ($62,000) was way over the 10,000 euros that passengers are allowed to take out of Spain without declaring the transfer.

The offending 45,000 euros were seized, pending justification for it from Aveiro, the spokeswoman said Monday.

Ronaldo’s mother, who is very close to the Portuguese international, committed no offence but merely an infraction, she added.

Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer in the world, according to Forbes magazine, which estimated his 2014 income at $52m (46m euros).

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2015

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