For two and a half hours on Wednesday, German border guards faced an unlikely enemy: the Terminator.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the movie star turned former governor of California, found himself on the wrong side of customs at Munich International Airport when a routine inspection unearthed a luxury watch that the action star had not declared.
Mr. Schwarzenegger was reportedly on the way to his native Austria from Los Angeles when customs officials in Munich discovered the watch, which the actor said would be sold for charity, according to local news reports and a spokesperson for the Munich airport's customs department.
a dinner event and an auction was to be held in Austria on Thursday evening for Mr Schwarzenegger's charity, the Climate Initiative.
Customs regulations in Munich require travelers from outside the European Union to declare non-EU goods worth more than 430 euros (about $467). “Arnold did not do this,” said Thomas Meister, spokesman for the customs office at Munich Airport.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have an exception for imported goods intended for charity. The items must still be declared upon arrival, according to EU policybut if travelers can prove that the items are being used for a good purpose, they can avoid paying associated fees.
Yet Mr. Schwarzenegger's star power was not enough to save him from customs bureaucracies. He will face formal criminal charges, Mr. Meister said, but possible punishments will be decided during the proceedings.
A representative for Mr. Schwarzenegger declined to comment.
John Yoon reporting contributed.