Action star Arnold Schwarzenegger was detained on Wednesday at Munich airport for not declaring a valuable watch, a customs spokeswoman told AFP.
Actor and former California governor, 76, who was born in Austria, was held in the customs area on Wednesday afternoon after arriving from the US, according to spokesperson Thomas Meister.
Schwarzenegger was expected to be able to continue his journey later in the day but “the watch will probably have to stay”, Meister said.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against the “Terminator” star and former bodybuilding icon for tax evasion, he said.
Meister claims that since Schwarzenegger intended to sell the watch in the European Union, tax should have been paid on it.
The opulent timepiece was scheduled to go up for auction on Thursday night at a Kitzbuehel fundraising event for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s climate program, according to the Bild daily.
According to the initiative’s website, artwork and autographed memorabilia are frequently up for auction during these evenings.
According to Bild, the custom watch was created just for Schwarzenegger by upscale Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet.
