Drivers in the UK must pay a £105 (US $210) charge if they want police to investigate the crime of automobile theft. The new fingerprinting tax is designed to raise as much as £10 million (US $20 million) in annual revenue from the 100,000 theft victims whose vehicles are recovered. No similar tax is levied on victims of any other crimes.

Don Astwood, 54, told the London Times how he was charged £205 (US $410) for fingerprinting, towing and storage fees after a thief had grabbed his car.

"My car was found legally parked a few miles away where I could have picked it up," Astwood said. "But they charged me to take it another 10 miles further away where they checked it for fingerprints."