The MotoGP world is alight with blockbuster levels of theft and controversy. Last week, a Canadian former Olympic snowboarder, turned Canadian cartel boss, had his $40 million motorcycle collection seized—containing about nine GP bikes—and this week, police have busted a Ducati MotoGP racing parts theft ring. According to MCN, the center of the operation took place in Bologna, home of Ducati.
After the theft was reported last November, Italian Police traced a stash of MotoGP and WorldSBK parts to a former contractor who worked at Ducati's Borgo Panigale HQ, where they found $233,685 worth of goods. Notable mentions on the list of parts were Brembo brake calipers, Öhlins suspension kits, watches, and heaps of official Ducati Corse apparel. Some of the apparel was finished in Enea Bastianini's colors, which indicates that the merch, and potentially the parts, were from the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
The head of the operation is suspected to be a 37-year-old Romanian, according to officers from the Arma dei Carabinieri in Bologna. The person lives in the city and was employed at the brand's factory via an external electrical installation company.
The Italian Police reviewed CCTV footage of Ducati's Borgo Panigale HQ, and the evidence was enough to gain authorisation from the Bologna Public Prosecutor’s Office to carry out a house search. Waiting for the police was more than $230,000 worth of MotoGP and WSBK parts and apparel, but the question isn't how someone with access to the HQ stole these parts; it's why.
Who on earth is going to buy spare parts for the Desmosedici GP23 and Desmosedici GP24?
You'd need to have a pretty stacked criminal network to even offload the WSBK parts to amateur racers with big bank accounts. This guy couldn't even sell the apparel. Or, I'm totally wrong, and the next big MotoGP scandal is a black market parts ring.
