Police in the Czech Republic turned a high-powered Ferrari seized from criminals into a patrol car capable of reaching speeds of 326 kilometers per hour.

The 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia was red, but authorities painted them with fluorescent yellow and blue stripes and mounted a panel of lights on top. The vehicle will be used to chase down stolen cars and stop illegal races, according to a police statement quoted by the British newspaper The Guardian. Modifications to the car cost the police around 12,150 euros.

The car will be used by a special surveillance department and driven only by trained police. According to Jiří Zlý, head of the police traffic department, the Ferrari will be used across the country against some of the “most aggressive” criminals on Czech roads.

This is not the most valuable or rarest vehicle seized by the Czech police: 900 cars were confiscated last year. The vast majority are resold and the money raised is used to cover damages caused by offenders. “We keep some vehicles for official duties. However, these are not as luxurious cars as the Ferraris,” police explained.

The Czech Republic’s police force is not the first to use sports cars. Italian authorities have a partnership with Lamborghini and use their cars to transport blood supplies to accident sites in an emergency. In Dubai, the police have a fleet of supercars.

Source: With Agencies