Former Components 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has denied being arrested at an airport in Portugal after arriving with a shotgun he supposed to make use of in a clay pigeon taking pictures competitors.
Ecclestone, 95, stated he was stopped and questioned by 4 law enforcement officials and customs officers on the Tires Aerodrome in Cascais on Monday after arriving from Switzerland.
The British businessman informed the Press Affiliation he needed to “give up” the weapon he travelled with as he didn’t have the precise paperwork to appropriately import it.
Ecclestone, who was answerable for F1 for almost 40 years till 2017, stated the Portuguese police have been “very useful” and rejected stories he had been arrested.
“I used to be going to participate in a clay pigeon taking pictures competitors in Portugal,” stated Ecclestone.
“I went to see the police and stated, ‘What can I do for you?’ And so they stated, ‘We wish some data on this gun you introduced in’.”
Ecclestone added he had already taken his shotgun from England to Switzerland and stated he anticipated no issues because the airport officers know him “very effectively”.
Nonetheless, on arrival he was questioned by police for about an hour and was requested handy over the weapon as he didn’t have the official paperwork to carry it into the nation.
The incident marks the second time Ecclestone has encountered airport points relating to firearms. In 2022, he was arrested in Brazil for illegally carrying a gun whereas boarding a personal airplane to Switzerland and was ordered to pay 6,000 Brazilian reals (£1,000) to the native authorities.
