Calcutta, March 20: Star Mohun Bagan forward Jose Ramirez Barreto was arrested at Calcutta airport this morning for foreign exchange violation but received bail in the evening after hours of grilling.

The 31-year-old Brazilian, who was to fly to Sao Paulo on a vacation, had failed to declare the money at the customs counter but made a ready admission when accosted later in the security area.

He claimed he didn’t know the rule that foreigners had to make a declaration if they were carrying, into the country or out of it, more than $10,000 in foreign exchange.

“I didn’t know the rules. But I don’t have anything against the authorities as they followed the rules,” the footballer said after receiving bail till April 3 at a Barasat court to loud cheers from some 500 Bagan fans.

“I’ll go home and take rest. I’m feeling very sorry for my family,” he said surrounded by fans who had thronged the courthouse as the news spread.

The Brazilian, scheduled to take the 9.15am Emirates flight to Dubai, had cleared immigration, customs and security when he was confronted 30 minutes before boarding.

“We had been tipped off…. He admitted to carrying unauthorised foreign exchange,” said Gautam Ray, commissioner of customs (airport).

Barreto said he had $15,000 on him but no papers. He was immediately taken to the airport customs office and his two bags offloaded.

A search of his trousers and wallet threw up $20,500 in cash along with £10, 7 Brazilian reals and Rs 2,280.

“He didn’t make a declaration, nor did he have papers to explain how he got the foreign exchange. So, we arrested him on the charge of smuggling of foreign currency,” Ray said.

Officials said Barreto told them he had bought the dollars from the grey market at New Market, where the rate today was Rs 40.50 a dollar, Rs 1.80 cheaper than the official buying rate.

“He was nervous because he couldn’t produce documents,” a customs official said, adding that the footballer had been co-operative. The court retained Barreto’s passport and asked him to appear before airport customs every week.

Barreto had got in touch with Bagan officials, who reached the airport around noon to try and persuade customs to be lenient towards their star. Customs officials said they even received phone calls from VIPs in Delhi.

The Brazilian, who began playing in India in 1999, is allowed to take money out of the country through official banking channels.

Indian tourists can carry up to $10,000 out of the country, $2,500 of it in cash and the rest in bank drafts and travellers’ cheques.