Bernie Ecclestone was detained in Portugal on Monday after customs authorities found him in possession of an undocumented shotgun. The Guardian has independently confirmed the incident with multiple authorities involved in the matter.
The detention of the 95-year-old took place at Tires Aerodrome in Cascais, shortly after the former Formula One chief’s private jet landed. After a routine inspection of the aircraft and its passengers, authorities reportedly discovered a shotgun in Ecclestone’s possession. He was stopped for questioning by Portuguese officials.
Under standard procedure in such cases, the firearm is seized and the person found carrying it is formally made a defendant in criminal proceedings. It is not yet known what the outcome of Ecclestone’s case will be.
Responding to reports he had been arrested, Ecclestone told PA Media: “No. The police were very helpful and doing all they could to stop us from having to do what we had to do.”
Explaining the events, Ecclestone said: “I was going to take part in Portugal in a clay pigeon shooting competition, which I only knew about a few days ago because Fabiana [his wife] met someone when she was coming back from Brazil to Portugal. He said he was entering into a clay pigeon competition.
“So she called me and said, ‘There is something here you should go and look at. Why don’t you turn up and join?’ And I said, ‘Well, that wouldn’t be a bad idea’.
“As I have got guns already in Switzerland, which have been imported properly, because we do a bit of clay pigeon shooting there, I brought the gun in with me.
“I went through customs and the people know me very well. They said, ‘Anything to declare?’ I said, ‘No, nothing really, just all the usual personal things’.
“So I walked out and, as I got out, one of my people with me said, ‘The police have asked if you would go and see them’. 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’.
“I didn’t even unzip the case. I said, ‘Well, it is a shotgun and this is the reason’. And they asked where is the blue book for the gun? And I said, ‘I don’t know, I have never heard about a blue book in my life.
“They said, ‘Yes, well anyone with these guns should always have the book, it is like a passport. Incidentally, I want to look at your passport, too,’ which they took.
“I said I bought the gun in England and took it into Switzerland through all the normal channels. And they said, ‘Where is the blue book?’ And I said: ‘I just told you, I don’t know about the blue book.
“There were about four police guys and they said, ‘What you have done is try to import a gun into the country’. I said, ‘I have not tried to do that. I have come through customs, and here I am with you.
“So all this nonsense went on. We went back to the customs, and the police had complained to customs, and the customs officer said, ‘You need to surrender the gun here in Lisbon and then we will look at it there, and do you want to import it? And if so, you will have to pay duty on it and ask for a temporary import, and we will deal with it like that’. So I said, ‘Well we’d better do that’.”
This is not the first time Ecclestone has faced scrutiny from authorities over a firearm while travelling by air. In May 2022, the former Formula 1 chief executive was arrested in Brazil for illegally possessing a gun while preparing to board a private plane bound for Switzerland.
An X-ray scan of Ecclestone’s luggage reportedly revealed an undeclared LW Seecamp .32-calibre pistol. He admitted that he owned the firearm but said he was unaware that he was carrying it.
Ecclestone was taken to a facility at Viracopos Airport in Campinas, where he posted bail before being released to continue his journey.
Ecclestone’s wife, Fabiana Flosi, was linked to a property purchase about 15 miles west of Lisbon. The deal was reportedly the largest private sale of a house in Portugal, with the price said to be around £35m.
Ecclestone has been involved in Formula One since the 1950s, starting out as a driver and businessman before becoming a team owner and a key negotiator of the championship’s television rights.
He was the sport’s most influential commercial and political figure for decades, playing a central role in securing commercial partnerships, sponsorships and agreements with racing circuits around the world.
Ecclestone’s official involvement with Formula One came to an end in 2017, when Liberty Media acquired the commercial rights to the championship. He has nevertheless remained an inescapable figure in the sport and is widely credited with transforming F1 into a global mass-market phenomenon.