Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to undergo legal proceedings for failing to declare an item upon his entry into Germany, as confirmed by a spokesperson from Munich Customs, as reported by CNN.
‘He did not declare a product. A product that was brought in from non-EU countries with the intention of remaining within the EU. This procedure is applicable to everyone,’ said the spokesperson, Thomas Meister.
Meister stated that the former California governor and movie icon was eventually released after being held for over two hours
According to a source closely associated with the actor, ‘Arnold was detained for three hours today at Munich airport for traveling with a watch he owns, which he may be auctioning at his charity event tomorrow in Kitzbuhel, Austria.’
The item in question, according to the source, was a watch from the Swiss luxury brand Audemars Piguet.
Schwarzenegger was never requested to complete a declaration form, and he provided truthful responses to all queries posed by customs officers, as stated by the source.
Despite facing an inefficient and comical situation that could be the basis for a humorous police film, he cooperated fully at every stage, the source emphasized.
The actor reportedly agreed to pre-pay potential taxes on the watch, but the officers struggled for an hour with a credit card machine before eventually deciding to escort him to a bank. There, they asked him to withdraw cash from an ATM to settle the payment, but the ATM had a low limit, and the bank was closed.
Upon his return, a new officer arrived with a functional credit card machine to process the payment, as stated by the source.
About the luxury watch
The high-end watch in question was scheduled to be auctioned off at a charity dinner for Schwarzenegger's climate initiative in Kitzbuehel on January 18, as reported by Bild.
These fundraising dinners usually feature items such as artworks and autographed collectibles, as per the initiative's website.
The customized timepiece, created exclusively for Schwarzenegger by the renowned Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet, was highlighted in Bild's report.
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