An Argentinian former minister has been arrested after allegedly trying to hide millions of dollars in a monastery.
Police were called by nuns who spotted a man throwing bags onto the monastery grounds near Buenos Aires yesterday.
Officers arrived and arrested the man, who turned out to be former Public Works Secretary Jose Lopez, who served in the government of former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
They then discovered wads of cash as well as watches in more than 160 packages inside the bags.
Other money had been taken to the monastery kitchen and some was found in the boot of a car.
Police initially detained Mr Lopez for possession of a .22 calibre rifle.
Security Minister Cristian Ritondo told a news conference that Lopez was “in a state of shock” when he was arrested and alleged that he tried to bribe police.
“He later told the nuns that police had tried to steal the money that he was trying to donate,” Mr Ritondo said. “There are dollars, yen, euros and a currency from Qatar ... It’s a lot of money.”
Dario Kubar, the area’s mayor, told reporters that authorities had found more than $7 million at the monastery.
Local TV stations showed images of the piles of cash, and later of Lopez being escorted by police wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest.
“It’s almost out of a movie,” said Marcos Pena, President Mauricio Macri’s Cabinet chief.
