Why was 'Terminator' star Arnold Schwarzenegger detained at Munich airport
The 76-year-old Hollywood icon and former California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger encountered a three-hour detainment at Munich airport on Wednesday (local time). The Hollywood royalty found himself in this scuffle with the law due to an unregistered custom luxury watch he was carrying while en route to Austria. Per media reports, Schwarzenegger intends to auction the watch at his charity event in Kitzbühel, Austria on Thursday, with proceeds benefiting The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, which bolsters global climate projects.
ATM limit and bank closure caused delays
After being stopped, the actor attempted to pay the watch's taxes at the airport, but, surprisingly, the credit card machine malfunctioned. Schwarzenegger—escorted by custom officers—then went to an ATM, but the withdrawal limit was low. The customs officers finally returned with a working machine. Once the watch is auctioned, the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative is expected to report it.
Customs officers' inquiries and Schwarzenegger's cooperation
Daniel Ketchell, Schwarzenegger's representative, told The Washington Post that the actor "answered every question from customs officers" and that claims he didn't declare anything are "100% false." "None of the people I know and sat next to on our commercial flight filled out a declaration form, including Arnold—he got to customs, and they told him he was 'randomly' selected to be searched." Schwarzenegger reportedly eventually had to pay a fine of 35,000 euros (over Rs. 31 lakh).
Criminal tax proceedings initiated
Customs spokesperson Thomas Meister informed CNN that criminal tax proceedings were initiated since Schwarzenegger's watch was an imported item and it needed to be registered. Additionally, German newspaper Bild reported that the watch was categorically made for the bodybuilding icon by Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. The Terminator star will host a dinner and auction in Kitzbühel on Thursday. The proceeds will support the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, which organizes the Austrian World Summit climate conference annually.
Check this photo from the airport
Watch's price and further proceedings
Per media reports, the extravagant custom watch costs about 20,000 euros, which translates to about over Rs. 18L. "This is the problem that Germany is suffering from. You can no longer see the forest for the trees," said the Hollywood star, who had told the officials the watch was to be auctioned off but still had to pay the aforementioned heavy fine. Ketchell told The Washington Post, "The lawyers don't expect any [further] issues because Arnold always pays his taxes."
