15 February 2006

How many $2 can you get in a sock? (if you're allegedly stealing from the Mint)

| johnboy
Join the conversation
12

ABC Online is reporting on an amazing heist at the Mint in which it is alleged over $500 a week was smuggled out in $2 coins hidden in a lunchbox and in workboots.

The AFP have put out a media release (text below) but haven’t put it online yet.

Surely security in THE PLACE THEY MAKE THE SODDING MONEY should have anticipated and prevented this? Frankly I hope a lot of people lose their jobs. This country is plagued by slack, incompetent, arse-monkeys and death is frankly too good for them.

UPDATE: The AFP release is now online. The Canberra Times also has the story, along with a name of the alleged theif: William Grzeskowiak, 48, of Alabaster Street, Monash.

Royal Australian Mint theft charge

A 48-year-old Canberra man was last night charged with the theft of more than $6000 from the Royal Australian Mint.

Following a joint Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police operation, the man was arrested at a premises in Bendigo.

It is alleged he stole between $500 to $700 per week by concealing minted $2 coins in his work-boots and lunch-box.

Following his arrest, two search warrants were executed at addresses in the ACT and Queanbeyan, NSW. At the Queanbeyan address, AFP members located and seized over $100,000 in minted coins.

The man has been charged by members of Victoria Police with Theft of Commonwealth Property Under Section 131.1, Criminal Code 1995. The maximum for this offence is imprisonment for ten years.

The man was remanded in custody and will appear before the Bendigo Local Court on Wednesday 15 February 2006.

Join the conversation

12
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

so do tell…

i know how he did it ;)my step farther worked there at the same time as this bloke

steel capped boots..metal lunchbox?
Still seems like a lot -50 coins a day to get 50000 a week.

lunchbox people
probably more coins in that than his socks
but Im betting theres more to it than that

see, its only the stupid ones that get caught. he should have put them all in a cement mixer with a bag of sand and some dirt for fifteen minutes and they would have looked like your regular every day kind of $2 coins

You do have to wonder at what level of shrinkage they have there if they didn’t notice this over a long period of time.

And who else is helping themselves…

Absent Diane10:28 am 15 Feb 06

that is seriously stupid… if they adhered to some basic iso standards that would almost negate any need for extra security…

barking toad10:07 am 15 Feb 06

He was only picked up because he stupidly tried to exchange shiny new mint condition coins for notes in Victoria and they thought it was a bit suss and told plod.

I had some idea the people who worked in the mint had to go through metal detectors in and out of the minting rooms and wore uniforms with no pockets (like maccas ones) to prevent this kind of thing happening. But maybe I heard wrong.

come to think of it, i’m going to be stuffed if the police ever raid my place. I reckon i’ve got at least $20 in minted coins.

yeah, youd think they would have some sort of basic check that says we’ve minted 10,000 coins and now only have 9,000 to put into circualation. beauty!!

$100,000????? That’s at least 50,000 coins – where did they all fit?

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.