JUST IN: Arnold Schwarzenegger Gets Detained in Munich for 'Unregistered' Watch
“What a pain in the neck.”
This morning, Arnold Schwarzenegger was detained in Munich Airport for carrying an ‘Unregistered’ watch through customs. This means that it was not claimed on his forms, even though it’s a watch that he owns (weird, I know). The actor best known for being the Terminator has quite an extensive watch collection to boot, even sporting a lot of his own personal watches in his movies.
Photo courtesy of Bild
While Arnnie appears to be in good spirits, even hanging out with the customs officers, a spokesperson for Munich’s Customs Enforcement said they have initiated “Criminal Tax Proceedings” because the watch was technically an import and should have been registered with them. The watch in question is rumored to be a $21,000 Audemars Piguet Offshore that the actor planned on auctioning at a charity event.
The actual detainment seemed absolutely riddled with errors, with one source calling it an “Incompetent Shakedown”. Reportedly, Arnold was never asked to fill out a customs form, and when confronted by customs about the watch to collect the tax, could not get their credit card machines to work. In turn, they ended up taking him to a bank to withdraw cash in the amount of over $5,000 and when warned about withdrawal limits, proceeded with the little road trip. Upon getting to the bank, the bank itself was closed and a withdrawal of cash was prohibited by the ATM’s withdrawal limit.
Upon returning to the airport, a new credit card machine was produced and he was able to pay his taxes on the watch. It was reported that although the actor was initially amused by the exchange, he quickly became flustered with the lack of process and the inefficiency. Further, it’s reported that the whole proceeding was further delayed because Customs decided to search all the rest of the actor’s luggage as well.
He’s reported to still be auctioning the watch for his Schwarzeneggar Climate Initiative Charity tomorrow
Overall, the whole ordeal seemed to be a major pain. Apparently, because the watch is an import and had to stay in the EU, it was to be declared (Even though they claimed to have never been given a declaration form) so all this headache over a watch he already owned. That being said, apparently even being the Terminator can’t cut through red tape. Be vigilant out there Enthusiasts.