Italian police have busted an Italian drug gang for attempting to dig up the body of legendary automaker Enzo Ferrari and hold the corpse for ransom. The gang was about to launch its plan when a massive raid of hundreds of police responded and arrested 34 people on Tuesday. The arrests were made in Sardinia and northern Italy.
Enzo Ferrari died back in 1988 at the age of 90, he was buried alongside his father inside the ornate tomb at San Cataldo cemetery. He was buried with a Ferrari perched on top of his tomb. The luxury car company was founded by Enzo Ferrari in Modena back in 1939.
Police reported that an unspecified amount of cocaine and arms was seized during the raid and at least 11 individuals are under further investigation. The head of the military police, Col. Saverio Ceglie, in the province of Nuoro reported that the gang is part of Anonima Sequestri, known as the kidnapping specialists of organized crime operations on the Italian island of Sardinia.
The gang is associated with the post-World War 2 bandit operation that was run by Graziano Mesina. Mesina will turn age 76 next week, he has spent time in prison for kidnapping plots. Authorities traced the gang as they were conducting their latest recon of Mesina. The investigation started a decade ago, the authorities learned that the gang was gambling on Ferrari’s tomb.
The gang is reported to have made concrete plans on how it would steal Ferrari’s corpse, this included several visits to the tomb and over a year of planning. The gang members were responsible of drawing up the plans and stealing the body after which they would deliver the ransom demand to the Ferrari family.
The Ferrari family was informed of the plot which had been ongoing for years. However, the family cooperated with the authorities and curbed the gang’s efforts.
