BERLIN - The former head of Iran's central bank, Tahmasb Mazaheri, has been found in possession of a cheque worth 54 million euros ($A71.18 million) by German authorities, Bild am Sonntag reports.

Mazaheri, in charge of the central bank until 2008, was searched by customs officers at Dusseldorf airport on January 21 after arriving aboard a flight from Turkey, the Sunday paper said.

The cheque, with a value of 300 million Venezuelan bolivars, was discovered in his hand luggage, according to the report.

The German customs office is investigating whether the cheque was part of a money-laundering operation.

After the report was published, Mazaheri said that the cheque was designed to finance the Venezuelan government's construction of 10,000 homes.

AFP