Jun.19, 2010

RED faced customs officials have released a holidaymaker held on money laundering charges after they found him carrying three banknotes with a face value of two billion Zimbabwe dollars.

Officers, using an online currency converter,  believed the notes to be worth more than £4 million and arrested hapless Amadeus Baresi, 42, as he crossed Italy's Ponte Chiasso border.

But they were forced to release him just hours later when they discovered that the out of date banknotes were really worth about 5p and often sold to tourists as souvenirs.

One customs official told the Austrian Times: "It's a very grey area and a mistake anyone could make."

Zimbabawe's hyper inflation has meant that their own currency has been largely replaced by foreign banknotes or a new local dollar introduced last year.