Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and former governor of California, was held for about three hours at the airport in Munich, Germany. The cause of this detention: a Swiss luxury watch, from the brand Audemars Piguet, worth 20,000 euros, not declared at customs.
Schwarzenegger was in possession of this watch as part of an auction planned in Kitzbühel, Austria, to support climate-related projects. However, having not declared the item, he was faced with customs fees and a fine of 9,000 euros. A criminal procedure for tax fraud has also been initiated against him.
In another customs incident, Julio Iglesias, famous Spanish singer, was recently subjected to a customs check at the airport in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. On January 10, authorities discovered no less than 42 kilos of food in his luggage. Among these products, there was a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as meat.
This is not an isolated case for the singer, known for regularly carrying food during his travels. However, this time, part of his food was confiscated by the plant quarantine inspection service of the Ministry of Agriculture. The Dominican Republic has intensified its health inspections to prevent the spread of a parasite, the Mediterranean fly, particularly present in Punta Cana.
The Minister of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic, Limbert Cruz, clarified that this control applies to all travelers, without exception, for health security reasons.
These two events highlight the strict rules of international customs and the consequences of their non-compliance, even for personalities who have experienced much more laxity in their youth.
