Dubai police sell 23 luxury vehicles in auction

Ferrari Enzo black A £1 million limited edition Ferrari is to be auctioned in what is thought to be the most expensive police sale in history, it was revealed today. The exclusive Enzo, one of only 399 in the world, was impounded by officers last year after it was abandoned in a car park and covered in dust in Dubai.
It is to go under the hammer on Wednesday among 23 luxury vehicles in a special supercar police sale, local officers confirmed on Monday.
The red motor - owned by a Brit - is one of the top 10 fastest ever road cars ever produced.
It is thought the owner was being chased for unpaid traffic fines after abandoning the supercar 20 months ago.
A lot of expats abandon their expensive cars because in Dubai being in debt is a crime.
Many then skip the country to avoid jail and until recently they were automatically put on the Interpol wanted list by the rich Arab state's authorities.
There is no suggestion that the British owner - who has not been named - was involved in serious criminality.
The supercar has an eye-watering 5998c aluminium V12 engine capable of 660bhp and a top speed of 217mph.
It can reach 0-60mph in just 3.4 seconds and Enzos, first built in 2002, are so rare that every time one crashes the others increase in value.
The Enzo is the prize of the auction, but it will be joined in the sale by three other Ferraris, as well as seven top-of-the-range Porsches, Corvettes, Mercedes, BMWs, Infinitis, Range Rovers and Dodges.
But it was inexplicably left to gather dust in a compound in the Gulf nation and was seized in June 2011.
Now it will go up in front of bidders in what looks set to be the most lucrative police auction of lost and found goods in history.
A total of 129 cars will be auctioned starting at 9am on Wednesday morning at the Al Quasis auction.
An official added: 'There is a black Ferrari worth Dhs700, 000 (£118,000) abandoned by the British owner for 15 months in our detention center when he couldn't pay the fines recorded on it.'
Major General Mohammed Saif Al Zaffin, traffic department director said some of the cars were stolen or involved in other crimes while others were confiscated for debt repayment defaults, traffic fines or were simply abandoned on the streets.
In some cases, the cars were seized because the drivers had fled after an accident.
Al Zaffin said: "The Ferrari Enzo, wanted by Interpol, was seized by the CID. Its British owner had left it in the parking lot for more than 20 months after traffic fines had piled up."
He said the 23 luxury cars on sale had accumulated fines ranging from Dh98,300 to Dh100,000 (£16,900 to £17,000)
Ten of the impounded luxury cars belong to Emiratis, seven to Europeans, one to a Russian expatriate and the remainder were owned by companies.
Dubai's laws say cars can be auctioned off six months after they were abandoned.