Bernie Ecclestone arrested for second illegal firearms incident

Former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has described a run-in with Portuguese police as "wall-to-wall aggravation" after he was stopped at a private aerodrome near Lisbon carrying an unlicensed shotgun.

Ecclestone, 95, was reportedly detained at Tires Aerodrome in Cascais, close to Lisbon, after arriving by private jet from Saanen in Switzerland, where he owns a £23 million ski chalet. The former F1 chief had brought the shotgun with him for the purpose of clay-pigeon shooting.

Ecclestone confirmed he had been travelling without the correct documentation for the firearm and was held up for several hours as a result. His wife Fabiana Flosi, 49, subsequently travelled to Lisbon to try to resolve the matter.

"I had a gun that I was bringing over from Switzerland to Portugal for clay-pigeon shooting," Ecclestone told the Daily Mail. "It's as simple as that. I have guns at home there that are licensed."

Ecclestone's wife sorting out the situation

Ecclestone explained that the issue only arose after customs had initially been cleared without incident.

"We cleared customs on arriving here," he said. "I know the guys there, and they were fine with everything. No problems.

"Then a policeman afterwards asked to search the bag. It could have been [his six-year-old son] Ace's fishing tackle for all it looked like, but it wasn't."

When officers enquired about a 'blue book', the documentation required to transport the firearm legally, Ecclestone conceded he was carrying the required paperwork.

"They said they would arrest me, but after what seemed like hours, we sorted it out, but it has been wall-to-wall aggravation," he said.

"But it seems it can be put right. Fabi has gone to Lisbon to surrender the gun, or pay the tax or whatever you need to bring it in."

It is not the first time Ecclestone has found himself in such a situation. In May 2022, he was arrested at an airport in Brazil for illegally carrying a firearm while boarding a private plane, describing that episode as a "silly, tiny little incident" before being released after paying bail