Ronaldinho arrested in Paraguay over fake passport

Ronaldinho and his brother were arrested for using fake passports to enter Paraguay

Ronaldinho arrested in Paraguay over fake passport Ex-football star Ronaldinho Gaucho | AFP

Brazilian football star Ronaldinho has been arrested in Paraguay for allegedly using fake passport to enter the country. Ronaldinho was arrested along with his brother Roberto. Ronaldinho was stripped off his Brazilian passport after failing to pay a settlement fee in Brazil over an environmental case.

Ronaldinho and his brother were convicted for illegally building a fishing trap at Lake Guaiba in 2015 without proper licensing in a permanent preservation area. The conviction saw the duo being handed an USD 8.5 million (£6.5m) fine in November 2018, and after failing to pay up, Brazil's Superior Court of Justice decided to stop Ronaldinho from being able to leave the country.

Despite being unable to travel out of Brazil, Ronaldinho was unveiled as one of the country's new ambassadors for tourism in September last year.

The former FIFA player of the year was detained at the Resort Yacht & Golf Club Paraguayo. Paraguayan authorities are yet to issue a statement.

The brothers were invited to Paraguay by casino owner Nelson Belotti. Ronaldinho was expected to hold several publicity events, with the media invited to witness his interaction with fans. 

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