You are not going to believe this one. Bernie Ecclestone, the 95-year-old former Formula 1 titan, got himself stopped by police and customs officials in Portugal after arriving at Tires Aerodrome in Cascais with a shotgun. Seriously, a shotgun! The man claimed he was just there for a clay pigeon shooting competition, but apparently, he forgot one tiny little detail: the right documents to actually bring the weapon into the country.
The Portugal Incident: A “Helpful” Stop?
So, the story goes that Ecclestone, flying in from Switzerland, found himself face-to-face with four police officers and customs officials on Monday. He’s denying he was arrested, but let’s be real, getting stopped and questioned for an hour about a firearm you just brought into a country definitely counts as a major snag in your travel plans. According to the man himself, he had to “surrender” the weapon because the paperwork simply wasn’t there. He even tried to play it cool, telling the Press Association that he went to the police and asked, “What can I do for you?” Their response? “We would like some information on this gun you brought in.” Classic. He even had the gall to say the Portuguese police were “very helpful.” Helpful in taking his gun, maybe? He reportedly thought he’d have “no problems” because airport officials “know him very well,” and he’d already moved the shotgun from England to Switzerland. Guess “knowing him very well” doesn’t magically create import documents, huh?
Not His First Rodeo With Airport Firearms
Here’s the kicker, and this is where it gets absolutely wild: this isn’t Bernie’s first dance with airport security over an unregistered gun! Nope. This marks the *second time* he’s had issues. Back in 2022, he was actually arrested in Brazil. The charge? Illegally carrying a gun while boarding a private plane headed to Switzerland. He was ordered to shell out 6,000 Brazilian reals, which at the time was about £1,000, to the local authorities. You’d think after an arrest and a fine, a 95-year-old would learn his lesson about proper firearm transportation, especially when flying internationally. But apparently not! The man who ran F1 for nearly 40 years seems to have a recurring blind spot when it comes to airport gun rules.
What’s next for Ecclestone and his jet-setting, gun-toting lifestyle? We’ll be watching to see if this 95-year-old keeps trying to test airport security around the globe. This saga is getting harder and harder to believe.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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