Portugal detains ally of ex-Guinea-Bissau leader

Portuguese police on Sunday said they had arrested a foreigner who had arrived from military-run Guinea-Bissau for suspected smuggling and money laundering, as local media reported he was a close ally of the African nation's deposed president.

The Judicial Police said in a statement that the operation at Lisbon's Figo Maduro military airport early Sunday morning had found around five million euros ($5.9 million) in cash in the detainee's luggage, following "an anonymous tip-off".

Portuguese media reported that the suspect was a man close to Guinea-Bissau's overthrown president Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who fled after the military ousted him in a November 26 coup.

Public broadcaster RTP identified him as businessman Tito Gomes Fernandes.

Embalo's wife Dinisia Reis Embalo was also on the flight but not detained, according to news agency Lusa and broadcaster Sic Noticias.

The flight had originally been classified as military and had been due to continue to the southern city of Beja, but "subsequently it was verified that the nature of the flight and its destination were different", the police said.

The suspect will face a judge "for an initial hearing to impose appropriate coercive measures", the police statement added.

The military took power in Guinea-Bissau a day before the provisional results of national elections were due to be announced, with the true motives unclear.