Three Osaka university students, two aged 20 and one aged 21, have been arrested over the theft of two luxury sports cars earlier this year. One student used one of the stolen cars to participate in an auto race, which he won, Sankei Shimbun reported Thursday.

According to police, the first car, a BMW, was stolen in February from an automotive shipping company in Osaka's Suminoe Ward. The trio next stole a Nissan GT-R from a logistics center in Chuo Ward of Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, in April. The cars were valued at 27 million yen.

Police said one of the students used the stolen Nissan GT-R to participate in a racing competition which took place in Hyogo on April, and he won the race. Prior to the race, he switched license plates with his mother's car, police said.

They were picked up after one of them caused an accident in May while driving the stolen BMW. The students, who were minors when they stole the cars, were quoted by police as saying they wanted to drive fast cars.

© Japan Today