This Thursday we woke up with surprising news related to Arnold Schwarzenegger (76), who has spent around three hours detained in Germany. The protagonist of Terminator He was arrested this Wednesday, shortly before two in the afternoon, at Munich airport for not declaring a luxury watch that he intended to auction to raise funds for environmental protection.
The Hollywood star landed from Los Angeles with a luxurious watch from the Swiss firm Audemars Piguet in his luggage, without taking into account that he could find himself in serious problems with the German customs services, as has happened.
The famous actor spent three hours at the Munich airport solving paperwork and answering questions “under the tax law” around the clock, according to American and German media such as Picture newspaper. He was released around 4:45 p.m.
The former governor of California was traveling with the watch to auction it for charity at a dinner organized before the start of the World Climate Summit, convened in Kitzbühel, Austria, his native country. The accessory has a value of 26,000 euros, it is a custom-made example for him and imitates a historical model of the firm from 150 years ago.
Schwarzenegger, finally, received a fine of 35,000 euros (corresponding to the value of the jewel, the tax value of 4,000 euros and an imposed penalty of 5,000 euros) which he had to pay in cash, since 50% of the customs duties must be be paid in cash, as established by German law.
This was the interrogation
The actor has explained his version in said German newspaper: “This is the problem that Germany suffers from. You can no longer see the forest for the trees”, he pointed out indignantly. The media has indicated that the interrogation began calmly but became heated after the bodybuilder became angry at the authorities' questions related to his assets and his family. The celluloid star called his lawyers.
On behalf of the German authorities, they have announced: “We have initiated a criminal tax procedure”said the spokesman for the main customs office in Munich, Thomas Meister. “The watch should have been registered because it is an import”.