- Terminator actor reportedly waits with customs officials for ‘hours’
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been arrested at Munich airport and questioned “under tax law” about an unregistered luxury watch he plans to auction, according to German media.
The Terminator actor, 76, is pictured with customs officials after flying from Los Angeles this afternoon and has been waiting for several hours. BIL reports.
Arnie, who has dual Austrian and American citizenship, is said to have been on her way to a climate charity auction being held tomorrow in Kitzbühel, Austria.
The ex-governor of California, a passionate climate activist, has reportedly put up for auction a valuable timepiece from Swiss luxury brand Audemars Piguet.
Spokesperson for Munich’s main customs office, Thomas Meister, told BILD: ‘We have initiated criminal proceedings under tax law. The watch should have been registered because it is an import.’
Arnie, who has dual Austrian and American citizenship, had reportedly been on her way to attend a charity climate auction in Kitzbühel, Austria
‘If the goods remain in the EU, you must declare them to customs. This applies to everyone, whether their name is Schwarzenegger or Müller, Meier or Huber,” a customs spokesperson told the German newspaper ZZ.
They further said that the movie star remains at customs while his luggage was checked.
“This will take some time,” said the spokesperson, who added that he assumes the Austrian-born actor will be allowed to continue his journey.
The A-lister is known for his love of striking watches and released 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 and they retail for over £30,000.
The file image shows Arnold Schwarzenegger holding an Audemars Piguet watch that was included in an auction in 2003
The former bodybuilder has an extensive collection of watches, including from Rolex and other luxury brands.
It is not known which timepiece from his collection he may have owned.
The Austrian-born actor was also on his way to watch the Hahnenkamm Race, a major event on the alpine skiing calendar.
He runs the Vienna-based charity The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, an eco-group that raises money at a party during the prestigious race week.