It’s the ultimate “rental agreement” nightmare.
What started as a standard one-week car rental in Lucerne, Switzerland, turned into an international criminal investigation after a luxury BMW X6 was discovered stashed inside a shipping container in the United Kingdom.
The Great Escape
The vehicle was intercepted at Tilbury harbor in the UK, stripped of its license plates and ready for a long-haul voyage to Ghana.
According to court reports, the man who rented the car in 201, a 39-year-old from Ghana, broke off all contact with the rental agency shortly after picking up the keys.
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The “It Wasn’t Me” Defense
In a trial held in absentia, the accused claimed the car had “disappeared” from a parking lot in London.
However, Swiss judges weren’t buying the story. The fact that the car was found in a container bound for the man’s home country, and that he never reported it stolen to the police, sealed his fate.
The Verdict
The Lucerne criminal court has found the man guilty of embezzlement, handing down an 11-month conditional prison sentence. While the car was successfully recovered, the accused remains at large.
What do you think? Is car rental tracking doing enough to prevent international smuggling? Let us know in the comments!
