Russian cops arrest super-rich during 'Rich and Successful' rally as calls grow to send them to UKRAINE
MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Russian cops detained dozens of drivers flaunting their fancy supercars during a rally in Moscow. The police dragged several owners out of their fancy four-wheelers as they took part in a 'Rich and Successful' rally in the city. The crackdown comes amidst Russian soldiers dying in the war against Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to The Daily Mail, is known for his rage against Russian multi-millionaires who always show off their wealth. A pro-Putin senator even suggested the men should be sent to Ukraine. The cops reportedly claimed that 170 supercars in the rally, including Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royce Phantoms, Ferraris, Porsches, Hummer H1s, Chevrolet Corvette C8s, Audi RS5s, and Bentley Continental GT IIs, had no permission for the elite rally.
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Russian cops arrest dozens for flashing supercars
The video footage released by East2West news showed several car owners getting detained by armed cops. Many were also seen in handcuffs. According to the Daily Mail, Putin has an issue with people showing off their wealth. He once said, “In Soviet times, some people used to flaunt their wealth by implanting gold teeth, ideally front teeth, in order to demonstrate the size of their fortune,” adding, “Lamborghinis and other expensive toys are exactly those gold teeth.”
The publication shared that one of the detained was Russian politician Alexander Donskoy, ex-mayor of Arkhangelsk, who once got into trouble for driving his Ferrari around a Moscow shopping mall. Drivers of fancy cars intended to drive through central Moscow with “Rich and Successful” stickers. Tickets for the unofficial rally cost up to $5K, including breakfast and an afterparty. However, cops busted the rally before it got underway.
'At first, I thought it was a joke'
Rally organizer Alexei Khitrov, a 28-year-old cryptocurrency millionaire, shed light on the incident saying, “The goal of this event is to gather all elite car owners and create an atmosphere for networking.” He added that when cops busted the rally “at first I thought it was a joke.” A law enforcement source spilled the beans, “Currently, some of the participants have been identified. They will be taken to the police for investigation.”
Russian senator Mikhail Dzhabarov demanded punishment for parading their Western cars. “They should be called to help the army,” said Dzhabarov, adding, “They would be useless for fighting at the front. But they are quite capable of helping in rear chores or as orderlies in military hospitals. This would help their brains to fall into place.”
Orthodox Patriarch Kirill too took a dig at Russia's youth for flashing their Western cars. “If those of our people who have a lot of money would worry not only about the number of horsepower under their bonnets, and the number of floors in their houses, but also what those next to them think about it, then the psychological atmosphere in our country would be much better,” said Kirill.