Bernie Ecclestone arrested for trying to board flight in Brazil while carrying gun
26 May 2022, 14:02 | Updated: 26 May 2022, 14:26
Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was arrested in Brazil for attempting to board a flight while carrying a gun, local police have said.
Ecclestone, 91, was boarding a flight to Switzerland when he was stopped.
Police said they found an undocumented LW Seecamp .32 pistol in his luggage during an x-ray security check. The gun was unloaded, according to local reports.
He was arrested where he acknowledged owning the gun but said he was unaware it was in his bag. He paid £987 bail and was allowed to travel.
He reportedly told officials he bought the pistol from a Formula 1 mechanic five years ago.
Ecclestone, 91, is married to Brazilian-born Fabiana Ecclestone, an FIA vice-president and member of the World Motor Sport Council.
The couple attended several events in the South American country in May, including a local Stock Car race in the countryside near Sao Paulo and a meeting with triple world champion Nelson Piquet in Brasilia.
