Cops Foil Crazy Scheme to Steal Famous Corpse

Gang allegedly planned to ransom body of the founder of Ferrari
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 29, 2017 12:03 PM CDT
Cops Foil Crazy Scheme to Steal Famous Corpse
The tomb of Enzo Ferrari in a cemetery in Modena, Italy, on March 28, 2017.   (Elisabetta Baracchi/ANSA via AP)

A bizarre crime tale out of Italy: Police say gang members planned to steal the body of Formula One racing pioneer Enzo Ferrari, hide it in the Apennine Mountains, and demand ransom from family members or the Ferrari company for its safe return. Luckily, they didn't get the chance, reports Motorsport. Authorities say they discovered the plot to steal the Ferrari founder's body during an investigation of gang members involved in drug and arms trafficking on the island of Sardinia, reports AFP. They belonged to syndicate Anonima Sequestri, according to CNN, which notes that the organization "has a history of kidnap-for-ransom crimes."

The suspects had allegedly gotten down to the nitty gritty of the scheme: Police say they had surveyed Ferrari's resting place in a family tomb in a cemetery in Modena, where he's been since his death in 1988. They planned to use three vehicles to make their escape from the site, not far from the Ferrari plant at Maranello, and had discussed how to contact family members, police say. All 34 suspects were arrested Tuesday in a massive cross-country police raid, per the Independent. (More Ferrari stories.)

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