Kensington and Chelsea (Parliament Politics Magazine) – More than 70 supercars worth £7 million were seized by police in Kensington and Chelsea over the weekend during a crackdown on anti-social and dangerous driving.
In Hyde Park, Kensington, and Chelsea, a silver Mosler Trenne, Ferraris, Porsches, Mercedes, and a pair of purple Lamborghinis were all seized.
The two identical uninsured Lamborghinis were flown into Britain for their owner’s summer vacation, according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau.
When their vehicle was seized, one of the two drivers had only been in the nation for a few hours and had only been behind the wheel for fifteen minutes.
Additionally, drivers received tickets for improperly tinting their windows, not wearing seatbelts, and using cell phones while operating a motor vehicle.
Officers found a variety of additional illegal activity, such as those wanted for narcotics offenses, immigration, criminal damage, and “ghost broking,” or phony insurance policies.
The investigation was launched in response to “concerns about high-value vehicles causing a nuisance in known hotspot areas in central and west London,” according to Special Chief Officer James Deller.
Martin Saunders, MIB’s head of uninsured driving prevention, said:
“We urge all motorists to check their insurance policy is in place, is appropriate for their needs and to reach out to their insurer if they are unsure on any part of their policy.
While many offenders knowingly violated the law, others fell victim to simple mistakes such as bounced payments, failed renewals or incorrect details.
We don’t want any driver to become uninsured in the first place. These rules apply to all motorists, regardless of the value of vehicle they choose to drive.”
How does the police operation assess the impact of luxury car ownership on local communities?
Police focus on problems caused by reckless or illegal driving behaviors often linked to high-value vehicles in affluent areas, such as excessive noise, speeding, use of uninsured vehicles, and general public nuisance complaints.
These operations target how luxury vehicles and their owners can contribute to community disruption, safety risks, and crime concerns, including uninsured driving linked to broader criminal activities (e.g., money laundering, drug running).
Police use technology like Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to identify uninsured or otherwise non-compliant luxury cars, emphasizing law enforcement fairness regardless of wealth or vehicle value.