By IANS
Kolkata : Mohun Bagan striker Jose Ramirez Barreto was detained Thursday at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport here for carrying around $18,000 without any valid papers.
Official sources said the customs authorities detained Barreto after he failed to produce the papers for carrying so much money.
Mohun Bagan sources confirmed the detention. However, both club secretary Anjan Mitra and football secretary Debashis Dutta were unavailable for comment.
Barreto has been the best Brazilian footballer to play in India, helping Mohun Bagan to two National Football League trophies, besides a host of other titles and overseas victories.
In the current season, he and Baichung Bhutia formed a formidable attacking pair for the Mariners, as the Mohun Bagan team is often called, etching out several important wins.
He was leaving the city for Brazil on a holiday, before the club’s new season begins.