Tahmasb Mazaheri, man with $70M check was Iran's former bank chief

BERLIN (AP) -- The German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reports that a man caught last month trying to enter Germany with a check worth about $70 million was Iran's former central bank chief.

The weekly reports that customs officials at Duesseldorf airport found the check in Tahmasb Mazaheri's luggage Jan. 21 upon his arrival from Turkey.

German customs had issued a statement Friday saying a check for 300 million Venezuelan Bolivars issued by the Bank of Venezuela was found on an unnamed 59-year-old man.

Neither customs officials nor Iran's embassy could be reached for comment late Saturday.

Mazaheri was the governor of the Central Bank of Iran until 2008.

Bild am Sonntag reported in its Sunday edition that German police and customs are investigating possible money laundering.