Arnold Schwarzenegger Detained at Munich Airport
The 76-year-old was held for about 3 hours over an undeclared watch, and he may now be under investigation.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was detained by customs officers in Munich, Germany on Wednesday, according to a report by CBS News. Schwarzenegger was held for about three hours but was eventually released and allowed to continue on his trip to Austria. Insiders said that he was held up because he did not declare a luxury watch he was wearing.
Schwarzenegger was on his way to a charity event in Kitzbuhel, Austria where he planned to auction off the expensive watch he was wearing to help raise money. Authorities held up the movie star and former U.S. Governor for failing to declare the luxury accessory, though sources close to him said this was all an accident. They said Schwarzenegger was never asked to fill out a declaration form for the watch. They said he tried to pay the tax to transport the watch but the credit card machine there was not working. Customs officers eventually needed to retrieve a different credit card machine so that he could pay.
Schwarzenegger was heading to a fundraising event for The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, an organization advocating for immediate action to combat climate change, primarily through supporting leaders in that cause and connecting them with each other.
While Schwarzenegger continued on his way, it's not clear if the watch went with him. A customs spokesperson tol reporters: "the watch will probably have to stay" due to the irregular event. A criminal procedure investigation for possible tax evasion is now underway. Schwarzenegger's team said that he intended to report the sale of the watch and pay all applicable taxes through his non-profit organization.
Schwarzenegger has been outspoken on climate change for years, calling it the most important issue of our time in 2015. He worked on a 2016 campaign to reduce carbon emissions by reducing the mass production of meat, which got a lot of press due to Schwarzenegger's history as a bodybuilder. In 2022, Schwarzenegger said that he himself eats a plant-based diet about 80 percent of the time. He said that he feels there are some health benefits to this practice but his main concern is environmental.
Schwarzenegger has not commented publicly on his detainment in Germany so far. According to the Schwarzenegger Climate Action social media pages, the auction went on without a hitch. It's unclear if Schwarzenegger made it to the event himself.
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