Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped for hours at Munich customs over luxury watch

Arnold Schwarzenegger has brushed off being detained by customs at Munich airport earlier this week in a somewhat raunchy manner.

The Terminator actor, 76, was stopped by German officials on Wednesday (17 January) due to the fact he failed to declare a luxury watch.

While scanning the Hollywood star’s luggage on his journey to Austria, they discovered an Audemars Piguet wristwatch, which the actor reportedly said he was intending to auction off at an event the following day.

A representative for the Munich customs office told Bild: “We have initiated criminal tax proceedings. The watch should have been registered because it is an import. If the goods remain in the EU, you have to pay tax and duty on them. That applies to everyone.”

“FUBAR” and “Predator” actor Schwarzenegger, who was detained for hours, made light of the situation while attending the fundraiser at Stanglwirt Resort, Austria, at which he spoke on stage for eight minutes.

He said in a video that’s been obtained by TMZ: ‘You always start things with a lot of drama. That’s what you saw yesterday. And do you believe that? That all of a sudden I was in handcuffs?”

According to TMZ, the watch that caused Schwarzenegger such a headache was eventually auctioned off for €270,000 (£231,500). Bild claims the timepiece’s estimated worth was €20,000 (£17,000).

Speaking after the airport detainment on Wednesday, the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative told AP in a statement that the actor “cooperated at every step even though it was an incompetent shakedown”, adding that he would “prepay potential taxes on the watch”

The Independent