The former Hollywood star and California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has reportedly been fined after failing to declare a luxury watch while traveling to his native Austria.
Upon his arrival in Munich from Los Angeles, Schwarzenegger was detained for several hours at the airport. The incident arose when customs officials discovered a custom-made Audemars Piguet watch in his luggage.
The incident is being investigated as a potential case of tax evasion, as reported by Germany’s Bild newspaper. A customs spokesman, Thomas Meister, stated that the watch should have been registered as an import.
Bild also shared a photo of the 76-year-old actor and former bodybuilder, holding his watch box while being questioned by two customs officers. Schwarzenegger explained to the media outlet that he intended to auction the watch for his climate initiative, but his explanation was not accepted. The watch, which was specially made for Schwarzenegger, is said to be valued at more than €20,000 euros ($21,800).
Schwarzenegger’s situation was further complicated by issues with the credit-card machine and ATM withdrawal limits, causing a delay in paying the tax and penalty. After resolving the payment issue, the actor was allowed to continue his journey to Austria, approximately three hours after arriving in Munich.
Throughout the years, Schwarzenegger has remained vocal about his political views. He mentioned in a CNN interview in June 2023 that he would run for president if he were eligible, and he also expressed his disappointment in a potential 2024 election rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, rather than seeing new candidates emerge.
