Bernie Ecclestone Addresses Shotgun Incident in Portugal

Bernie Ecclestone has dismissed reports that he was arrested in Portugal after arriving at a small airport with a shotgun, insisting it was a paperwork issue rather than a criminal incident.

The 95-year-old former Formula 1 supremo landed at Tires Aerodrome in Cascais on Monday, flying in from Switzerland with a shotgun he says he intended to use in a clay pigeon shooting competition.

Waiting for him were four police officers and customs officials. They stopped him, questioned him and, crucially, asked about the weapon he was carrying.

Ecclestone said he cooperated immediately.

“I went to see the police and said, ‘What can I do for you?’ And they said, ‘We would like some information on this gun you brought in’,” he told the Press Association.

The British businessman explained that he had already transported the same shotgun from England to Switzerland without trouble and expected a similarly smooth arrival in Portugal, pointing out that airport staff there know him “very well”.

This time, the rules caught up with him. He did not have the correct documentation to import the firearm, and the officers required him to hand it over.

Ecclestone said he had to “surrender” the shotgun, and spent around an hour being questioned by police. He stressed that he was not detained and strongly rejected claims that he had been arrested, describing the Portuguese authorities as “very helpful” throughout the process.

The gun stayed in Portugal. Ecclestone left with his version of events clear: an administrative snag, not an airport arrest.