Czech Republic police have confiscated a Ferrari 458 from criminals and revamped it into a police car that can drive up to 202 miles per hour. The car will aid police in fighting crime nationwide, or potentially even abroad. Police who have undergone special training will be operating the car.
Before its seizure, the 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia (Type F142) originally had a racing red color. However, the car has now been revamped with stripes of blue and yellow paint over a gray base, with new flashing lights mounted on the car roof.
“It used to serve criminals, now it will protect Czech roads. What are we talking about? Today, a new special in the colors of the Police of the Czech Republic—Ferrari F 142 – 458 Italia—begins its service,” police said in a statement.
“The vehicle will be deployed against the most aggressive drivers on Czech highways, when chasing stolen vehicles or during surveillance at the locations of reported tuning events.”
Due to being a formerly criminal asset, the Ferrari was bought by the Czech police for a price much cheaper than market value.
“This vehicle is one of many seized as criminal property each year,” said police. “Thanks to the excellent work of our criminal investigators, this vehicle cost us less than the purchase of, for example, a new Skoda Scala car, i.e. a little over 300,000 Czech koruna [$12,440]. These were the costs associated with its ‘reconstruction’ and modification for the needs of the traffic police service.”
Jiří Zlý, the head of Police Traffic Department, said Czech police would deploy the car to combat the “most aggressive pirates of Czech roads” nationwide. “We can also use its potential when chasing stolen vehicles that pass through our territory to neighboring countries.”
Hodnota zabaveného majetku dosahuje několika miliard ročně. V loňském roce jsme zabavili přes 900 vozidel. pic.twitter.com/5QxA0J3IGK
— Policie ČR (@PolicieCZ) July 25, 2022
Deputy Chief of Police for the Criminal Police Investigation Service Tomás Kubik said, “If I were to mention one of the activities in which we significantly succeed in using legal authorizations, I must mention the securing of assets originating from criminal activities.”
“Last year alone, we secured assets worth almost 7 billion Czech Koruna ($290 million) in this way, and I am personally convinced that we will be similarly effective in the future,” he added.
The Czech police say sports cars are also used for law enforcement in several European countries. “Similar vehicles are also used by foreign security forces in Italy, Germany, or Great Britain. The vehicle will be used by the Special Surveillance Department of the Czech Republic with nationwide jurisdiction and driven only by specially trained police officers.”
Last year, 900 cars were confiscated. The vast majority of them are resold to contribute toward other related causes. “We keep some vehicles for official duties,” an officer said. “However, these are not such luxurious cars as Ferraris.”
The police did not elaborate on information about the previous owner or the method of obtaining the car.
