Arnold Schwarzenegger was temporarily detained at Munich Airport for failing to declare a valuable luxury watch, according to German media.

The actor and former politician was on his way to Austria for a charity auction when he was stopped by customs officers on Wednesday, the German press agency DPA said.

The customs authorities claimed Schwarzenegger, who brought the watch over from the US, had not declared a valuable luxury watch upon arrival in Munich.

The 76-year-old’s non-profit, the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, told DPA the actor planned to sell the watch at the auction to benefit climate initiatives.

The black ceramic watch, which has an image of Schwarzenegger as The Terminator on the back, was set to be auctioned for at least $50,000 (£42,939), BILD reports.

It added that the collector’s item was made exclusively for him.

During the actor’s three-hour detention, a Munich customs spokesman told DPA: “He is sitting with us, that’s right.

“If the goods remain in the EU, you have to pay tax and duty on them. That applies to everyone.”

The Terminator star was eventually able to continue his journey on Wednesday and was allowed to take the watch with him, the customs spokesperson said.

BILD reported that he had to pay a fine of several thousands of euros to leave.

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“He cooperated at all times, even though it was an incompetent investigation, a total comedy of errors, but one that would make a very funny police film,” a Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative spokesperson told DPA.

“Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course, immediately agreed to pay customs on – think about it – his own personal watch,” the spokesperson added.

“We hope that Germany invests as much energy in reorganising its economy and making it more environmentally friendly as it does in levying customs duties on people’s property.”

The customs spokesperson said the case against Schwarzenegger will now go to the responsible criminal and fines office in Augsburg, a city to the west of Munich.

The actor also planned to attend the Hahnenkamm ski race in the village of Kitzbuhel in the Austrian Alps.

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