Customs officials reportedly charge actor €35,000 after alleged failure to declare item intended for climate charity auction
Arnold Schwarzenegger was briefly held by customs officers at Munich airport on Wednesday after allegedly failing to declare a €26,000 (£22,000) Audemars Piguet watch the Terminator star was planning to sell at an auction in aid of his climate crisis charity.
The Austrian-born actor and former governor of California, 76, was stopped at the airport for about three hours upon arrival from Los Angeles, according to the German tabloid Bild, which quoted customs officials.
Schwarzenegger was taken aside by officers who searched his luggage and found the watch, which the actor had allegedly not declared on his arrivals customs form.
A spokesperson for the main customs office in Munich said: “We have initiated criminal tax proceedings. The watch should have been registered because it is an import.” We
I’d be more upset if the headline read “Arnold Schwarzenegger commited tax fraud but was let through because he’s famous”
I seem to recall high end watches being a way to avoid carrying large amounts of cash across borders. Maybe even for money laundering (although that seems cumbersome).
People can carry tens or hundreds of thousands across borders in their luggage as personal wardrobe accessories. Once they arrive at their destination, find a dealer who will buy a watch for cash and they have loads of local currency without paying bank transaction fees or getting government haircuts.
Not that I think that’s what’s going on here, but it may be the media shining a spotlight on it for some reason.
It’s better to wear the watch and jewelry if you’re having that intent.
This is the worst thing that has ever happened at a Munich airport…
That’s who we need on Lemmy.
Because Margot Robbie is getting us nowhere.
Is this a German thing? I’ve traveled many times between Canada and the USA and never had to fill any customs form.
Edit: Boy oh boy. I thought Reddit was the toxic place, but can’t ask a damn question in here without getting slammed with downvotes?
