Speculation continues to rise over the who, what, when and where of the gold bullion missing from the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa. The why is obvious as it is estimated to be worth over $15 million.
The gold disappeared from the high security gold refinery on the north side of the historic building. Despite metal detection and monitoring equipment scanning the exit areas someone has managed to remove forty four 400 ounce, individually numbered and weighed, gold bars.
Security Detection
Apparently, one of the detection devices scans individuals as they enter the mint and creates a profile of the body, particularly any metal such as dental fillings, heart stints and change in the pockets. If the profile does not match when the individuals leave, armed guards are alerted. Between the entrance and the gold are numerous security guards and other devices that the mint prefers not to discuss.
Not Bookkeeping Errors
The results of a recently released independent audit reveal no bookkeeping or accounting errors to explain the disappearance. In April 2008 the gold was there but by October it was missing. In addition, the mint’s inventory is also short on platinum, palladium and silver though the amount has not been released. The auditor has offered three possible explanations. Firstly, it could be due to an accumulation of accounting errors over the years, secondly, it was lost during processing and thirdly, it was stolen.
Theft From the Mint
This is not the first time thefts have occurred from the mint. A janitor who had worked for the mint for over 23 years was arrested in 1988 after $30,000 in gold was discovered missing. Over a period of a number of years he had pilfered gold from an area where molten gold had come in contact with tools used in recovery. There was a second theft in 1996 when a mint machinist managed to sneak $37,000 worth of gold, estimated at 85 ounces, past sensors and detectors. Charges against him were later dropped so the mint could avoid explaining in court how he had beaten the elaborate security system.
Stop Watch Gang
A larger theft occurred when gold was in transit from the Ottawa airport to the mint. In 1974 the Stop Watch Gang stole $750,000 from the airport with the assistance of a petty thief employee. They broke into the warehouse, got past the guards, entered the security room and left with six 65 pound gold bars. At the time it was thought that the gold had been loaded into a car and the crooks drove off with it. In fact, as it was disclosed many years later, they simply relabeled boxes in the shipping area and had Air Canada deliver the gold to Windsor the next day. The gold was then shipped across the border and sold in Detroit to a fence. Paddy Mitchell, the leader of the gang was later arrested, convicted and sentenced to 17 years in prisoner. He escaped after two years but was caught and imprisoned in the US where he died in 2007.
Flying Bandit
The largest theft outside of the mint involved $4 million worth of gold in transit. In 1966 Ken Leishman, known as “The Flying Bandit” stole a shipment en route from Winnipeg airport to Ottawa. He was caught and sent to prison.
The RCMP has been called in to investigate the latest case of the missing gold and mint officials are co-operating fully with the police.
Bibliography
Toronto Star – 29 June 2009
Winnipeg Sun – 3 July 2009
CanWest News Service – 4 July 2009
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