Arnold Schwarzenegger was detained for three hours by customs officials after landing at Munich Airport in Germany yesterday. No, he didn’t bring a loaded handgun onboard a flight to kill Sarah Connor despite it being in vogue for Americans. The Hollywood movie star and former California Governor was wearing a luxury watch that he didn’t declare upon entry. Schwarzenegger estimates his Audemars Piguet watch is worth 20,000 euros ($21,700), Bild reports.
Schwarzenegger flew from Los Angeles to attend a summit for the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative in Kitzbühel, a wealthy Alpine ski town in his native Austria. The 76-year-old was subject to a random search where customs officers discovered the luxury watch in his luggage, prompting the detention and accompanying interrogation. According to CBS, he was never asked to fill out a declarations form. Schwarzenegger explained that the watch was going to be auctioned off to benefit his climate change charity. He told Bild, “This is the problem that Germany is suffering from. You can no longer see the forest for the trees.”
The ultimate destination doesn’t matter to Germany’s customs agency or the letter of the law. Schwarzenegger was on the hook for $4,300 in taxes and a $5,400 fine. He was willing to charge the full amount to a credit card to just end the ordeal, but the law also stipulates that at least 50 percent of the amount has to be paid in cash. The movie star has to be escorted to a bank so he could withdraw enough money to cover the penalties.
Schwarzenegger still might not be in the clear despite covering his financial obligations. A customs service spokesperson told the German newspaper, “We have initiated criminal tax proceedings. The watch should have been registered because it is an import.” Yet another lesson proving that any of us, including the T-800, could be taken down by tax evasion charges.