American superstar and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger found himself detained by Munich airport customs for three hours on Wednesday, January 17, due to issues surrounding his expensive luxury watch.
The 76-year-old star was held over what Munich customs spokesperson Thomas Meister described as “criminal tax proceedings” related to the watch, technically considered an “import” that should have been registered.
The disputed timepiece, reportedly from the Swiss brand Audemars Piguet, is valued at over $21,000 (Ksh 3,362,268).
Munich customs suspected that Schwarzenegger, who owns the watch, might be planning to auction it at his charity event in Kitzbuhel, Austria.
Full cooperation by the actor
Sources revealed to that Schwarzenegger cooperated fully with customs, answering all questions honestly. Despite the lack of a declaration form, the actor’s willingness to cooperate led to a swift resolution of the situation.
Ultimately, Schwarzenegger agreed to pre-pay potential taxes on the watch, even though it was his personal property.
The actor, initially calm during the interrogation, reportedly became frustrated as the situation unfolded. The delay in his release was attributed to issues with the credit card machine, which exceeded the available cash at the ATM, compounded by bank closures.
Once a functioning machine was secured, Schwarzenegger was released from detention.
