Bernie Ecclestone, the 95-year-old former head of Formula One, was stopped by Portuguese police in Cascais after arriving at the airport on a flight from Switzerland. Ecclestone told the Press Association he was carrying a shotgun he intended to use in a clay pigeon shooting competition in Portugal. He said he had to "surrender" the weapon because he did not have the correct documents but denied he was arrested. The incident took place on Monday after Ecclestone landed in Cascais, about 20 miles from Lisbon. Ecclestone explained that he learned about the competition through his wife, Fabiana, who had met someone during a trip from Brazil to Portugal. That person mentioned entering a clay pigeon competition, prompting Fabiana to suggest Ecclestone attend. Ecclestone, who already had guns in Switzerland that had been imported legally, brought the gun with him for the event. At the airport, Ecclestone went through customs and was asked if he had anything to declare. He said he had nothing to declare, just personal items. As he was exiting the airport, one of his associates informed him that the police wanted to speak with him. Ecclestone met with four officers and explained that the gun was a shotgun he had purchased in England and brought to Switzerland through proper channels. The police asked for the "blue book" for the gun, a document Ecclestone said he was unfamiliar with. The police explained that the blue book functions like a passport for firearms and requested to see Ecclestone's passport as well. Ecclestone said the police indicated he had attempted to import the gun into Portugal and needed all the relevant details for the weapon. He clarified that he had not tried to import the gun but had gone through customs. The police then informed him that the gun needed to be surrendered in Lisbon, and he would need to pay duty if he wished to import it temporarily. In response to reports that he had been arrested, Ecclestone said, "No. The police were very helpful and doing all they could to stop us from having to do what we had to do." This was not the first time Ecclestone had encountered legal issues with firearms. Four years ago, he had a handgun on him before boarding a flight in Sao Paulo. He was stopped by police and had to pay 6,000 Brazilian reals (£1,000) to the local authorities. The gun was confiscated.