A man caught trying to enter Germany with a cheque worth £44.5 million is believed to have been Iran’s former central bank chief.

According to a German newspaper, customs officers at Duesseldorf Airport allegedly found the cheque in Tahmasb Mazaheri’s luggage on January 21 upon his arrival from Turkey.

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

Customs officers at Duesseldorf Airport found the cheque worth £44.5million

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.

Newspaper Bild am Sonntag said German police and customs were investigating possible money laundering.