Ecclestone Surrenders Shotgun to Portugal Police — SkimNews
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- Bernie Ecclestone, 95, was stopped and questioned by four police officers and customs officials at the Tires Aerodrome in Cascais, Portugal on Monday after arriving from Switzerland with a shotgun.
- Ecclestone said he intended to use the shotgun in a clay pigeon shooting competition but lacked the official documents to import it, and surrendered the weapon to authorities.
- Ecclestone told the Press Association the Portuguese police were "very helpful" and rejected reports that he had been arrested, saying he went to them voluntarily and asked "What can I do for you?"
- Ecclestone had previously taken the shotgun from England to Switzerland without incident and said he expected no problems because airport officials know him "very well," but was questioned for about an hour on arrival in Portugal.
- The incident marks Ecclestone's second firearms-related airport run-in: in 2022, he was arrested in Brazil for illegally carrying a gun while boarding a private plane to Switzerland and ordered to pay 6,000 Brazilian reals (£1,000).
- Ecclestone ran Formula 1 for nearly 40 years before stepping down in 2017.
Why it matters: A second firearms incident at an airport for the 95-year-old former F1 boss raises questions about due diligence when traveling with weapons across borders, even for a figure accustomed to private aviation and personalized airport handling.
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