We’ve seen some daring heists of late – think the millions stolen from OR Tambo Airport and that 100 kilogram gold coin in Berlin (HERE) – but perhaps none have been as strange as the plot uncovered over in Italy.

Thankfully Italian police beat the would-be grave robbers to the punch, arresting 34 people in a high-stakes operation involving helicopters and parachute regiment officers.

The body they were after is that of Enzo Ferrari, founder of the famous car company, who died in 1988 at the age of 90.

The Independent reports:

Investigators in Nuoro, on the island of Sardinia…suspected a gang had planned to demand a ransom from the Ferrari family or company after spiriting away the body.

Police said the plot was discovered during an investigation into arms and drug trafficking.

Ferrari is buried in an above-ground family tomb in the SanCataldo cemetery in Modena [pictured above], near the Ferrari plant at Maranelloin central Italy.

The gang members had allegedly inspected the site several times.

Details at this time remain few and far between, but I’m sure it will help drum up interest ahead of two big movie releases:

Hugh Jackman was reportedly in talks to play Mr Ferrari in a Michael Mann-directed film.

Christian Bale was originally set to play the entrepreneur but reportedly quit over concerns about how much weight he would have to gain for the role.

Robert De Niro has also been reported to have links with a different biopic about Mr Ferrari, but it is unclear how far the project has progressed.

Perhaps someone should get the lowdown on the plot to steal his body and turn that into a movie.

[source:independent]