Luxury cars and e-bikes were among hundreds of vehicles seized by police in Fife in 2024.
Data obtained by The Courier shows nearly 300 vehicles were impounded by officers in the kingdom between January and October.
That included 25 BMWs, 21 Audis, four Land Rovers and eight Mercedes-Benz models – some of which are worth more than £70,000 bought new.
The most expensive vehicle seized in Fife was a Maserati Granturismo Sport, which costs between £166,000 and £179,000 new.
Cops also seized 22 two-wheeled vehicles including off-road dirt bikes, pit bikes, e-bikes and motorcycles.
Rise in vehicles seized from drivers in Fife
The data covers vehicles seized under section 165 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
This gives police officers the power to seize a vehicle being driven without insurance or a driving licence.
The number seized in 2024 was up from 198 during the same period the previous year.
Of the vehicles seized by officers, 144 were not claimed by their owners.
Some choose not to collect their vehicle to avoid the charges, which start at £192 for removal and then £26 each day it is held in storage.
The cost of having the vehicle disposed of is £96.
If the vehicle goes unclaimed, it can be sold at auction or scrapped by Police Scotland.
Nineteen of the vehicles went to auction, including the Maserati, which sold for the knockdown price of just £19,310.
Meanwhile, a Mercedes G350, which can cost up to £94,000 new depending on the model, was auctioned off for £29,710.
Fife Division made a total of £60,250 from selling vehicles in this way between January and October – with some selling for as little as £140.
The remaining unclaimed vehicles – more than 120 of them – were scrapped.
A force spokesperson said: “Any seized or recovered vehicle, which is not claimed by the registered keeper, will be sold at auction.
“Any remaining amount, once the required fees are paid, is used to support public funding towards Police Scotland.”
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