Ex-Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone detained at airport because of shotgun

Former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone was detained at an airport in Portugal after a routine inspection found a shotgun that the 95-year-old said he planned to use to shoot clay pigeons.

Ecclestone said he was later released, saying his wife heading into Lisbon from the airport in Cascais to get the proper permits or surrender the gun.

“They asked if I had a blue book, which is apparently the documentation you need, and I told them I never travel with documents like that, any documents at all practically,” Ecclestone told the Daily Mail. “They said they would arrest me, but after what seemed like hours, we sorted it out, but it has been wall-to-wall aggravation.”

Ecclestone said he was surprised the gun was an issue and made it most of the way through the customs process before it was discovered during a search.

"I had a gun that I was bringing over from Switzerland to Portugal for clay-pigeon shooting. It's as simple as that. I have guns at home there that are licensed," said the man known as the F1 Supremo. "We cleared customs on arriving here – I know the guys there – and they were fine with…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/