Austrian-American actor and former politician Arnold Schwarzenegger was held last Wednesday (17) for more than three hours at Munich airport by German customs officials for failing to declare a valuable luxury watch to customs authorities.
Schwarzenegger has been given permission to continue his journey, a customs spokesman in Munich said late on Wednesday. He was also able to take his watch with him.
However, a criminal tax case was opened against the 76-year-old star, who was a world bodybuilding champion, a Hollywood star and also served two terms as governor of the US state of California.
According to customs authorities, upon arriving in Munich, Schwarzenegger did not declare the valuable accessory he was carrying with him, although he apparently planned to leave it in the European Union.
According to the German newspaper Bild, the watch in question is from the Swiss brand Audemars Piguet, valued at 26 thousand euros (R$ 140 thousand), and Schwarzenegger had to pay an amount of 35 thousand euros (R$ 188 thousand), including fines and taxes.
Auction for climate project
The artist was taking the watch to auction at a charity event scheduled for this Thursday (18) in Kitzbühel, in the Austrian Alps. Proceeds from the auction are intended for environmental protection projects, as announced by the climate initiative founded by the actor, the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative.
“If the goods remain in the EU, you have to pay taxes and duties on them,” stressed the customs spokesman in Munich. “This applies to everyone.”
Schwarzenegger agreed to pay customs duty for his personal watch, the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative said.
“He cooperated the entire time, even though this was an incompetent investigation, a total comedy of errors, but it would make a very funny police film”, criticized the entity in a statement.
“We hope that Germany will invest as much energy in reorganizing its economy to make it more environmentally friendly as in charging customs duties on people’s property,” Schwarzenegger’s organization added.
Source: Folha
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
