A MASTER CRIMINAL.

Western Star, 4 March 1938, Page 3

A MASTER CRIMINAL.

STEALS BULLION CONSIGNMENT. NO TRACE OF THE PAID. Scotland Yard is pitting its brains against a master criminal, who, sometime during the 3,000 miles journey of a bullion consignment, conjured from its sealed and rigorously guarded box £1,400 worth of gold —leaving no trace that the raid had taken place. From Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, the box travelled to London. It arrived with no sign that it had been tampered with; it was exactly tlie same in weight. But officials who opened it found inside a collection of hammer-heads and French nails. Now detectives from London and Liverpool are 'forging a chain of inquiries along every stage of the bullion’*, journey..

, Everyone who has had the slightest contact, with the gold consignment is being closely questioned. There i s one clue. The hammer-beads are of a particular type, and fingerprints have been- found on them. OFFICIAL SEAL. Liverpool police believe that the substitution wa s done at Freetown, in Sierra Leone. The missing gold was part of a largo consignment being transported to tn© United African Company Ltd. at Unilever House, E.C. There were .about 20 boxes, all of wood, heavily bound with iron anil officially sealed. The box from which tlie gold is missing was transhipped on December 14 by 1 tlie United African steamer Gambian from Freetown to Bromborough, Ghe.shire. During the voyage the boxe s were kept jn til© strongroom of the vessel and carefully guarded. The Gambian arrived at Bromborough mi December 29, and the same day the gold wa s taken to the premises of Messrs Lever Bros. UN DEE ESCORT. * Soon after, throe railway officials escorted the boxe s to Lim© street station. Liverpool, where they were checked and put 011 the train to London. Normally, bullion passing through Liverpool is escorted by armed police, hut 011 this occasion tho police were not informed. At- Euston the gold was put under official care, and the next day delivered under escort to Unilever house. So expertly had the box been, rescaled —deceiving even officials in charge of the consignment—that it is thought tlie substitution must have been dime by someone with an intimate knowledge of the ■laiishipping of gold.