Even celebrities aren’t above the law, and Arnold Schwarzenegger learned this the hard way. The Austrian-American actor is currently in the process of facing criminal tax proceedings after failing to declare an item upon arrival to Germany, according to a Munich customs press officer.
The press officer, Thomas Meister, told CNN: “He did not declare a product. A product that was imported from non-EU countries in order to remain in the EU. And this process applies to everyone.”
Meister reportedly said that the former California governor had been released and went on to continue to travel after being held for more than two hours.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is currently in the process of facing criminal tax proceedings after failing to declare a luxurious watch upon arrival in Germany
Image credits: BILD
Image credits: Film Magic/Getty Images
A source close to Schwarzenegger told the American broadcaster: “Arnold was detained for three hours today at Munich airport for traveling with a watch he owns, that he might be auctioning at his charity auction tomorrow in Kitzbuhel (in Austria).”
Arnie runs Vienna-based charity The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, an eco group that is raising funds at a party during the prestigious race week.
The source also revealed that the item in question was a watch from Swiss luxury brand Audemars Piguet. According to Luxe Digital, the average price of an Audemars Piguet watch is around $50,000.
“He did not declare a product. A product that was imported from non-EU countries in order to remain in the EU," a Munich customs press officer said
Image credits: Munich Airport
Schwarzenegger was never asked to fill out a declaration form, and he answered “every question from customs officers honestly,” the source told CNN.
They added: “He cooperated at every step even though it was an incompetent shakedown, a total comedy of errors that would make a very funny cop movie.”
The Terminator star agreed to pre-pay potential taxes on the watch, and the officers failed to use a credit card machine for an hour until they gave up and brought him to a bank and asked him to withdraw cash from an ATM to pay, according to the source, as per CNN.
The ATM they brought Arnie to had a limit that was too low, and the bank was also reportedly closed. Upon returning to the bank, a new officer reportedly brought a new credit card machine that finally worked, the source added.
Meister, the spokesperson for Munich customs, further told German tabloid BILD: “We have initiated criminal proceedings under tax law.
“The watch should have been registered because it is an import.”
Arnie might be auctioning his expensive watch at his charity auction, The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative
Image credits: The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative
A separate customs representative told German outlet SZ: “If the goods remain in the EU, you have to declare them through customs.
“This applies to everyone, whether their name is Schwarzenegger or Müller, Meier, Huber.”
According to the DailyMail, the 76-year-old bodybuilding icon is known for his love of flashy watches and famously brought out his own limited edition model with Audemars Piguet in 1999.
Only 1,500 of the Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy pieces were ever produced, retailing for more than £30,000 ($38,090).
Nevertheless, it is reportedly not known which timepiece from Schwarzenegger’s collection he was allegedly held up over.
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