Secret vaults Gold, arms and seized drugs in huge basement

The Guardian ^ | Nov 2, 2001 | AUDREY GILLAN

[CommiesOut]

Twin towers treasure trove a lure for looters: Secret vaults Gold, arms and seized drugs in huge basement
The Guardian - United Kingdom; Nov 2, 2001
BY AUDREY GILLAN IN NEW YORK

The vaults below the complex that was the World Trade Centre were a vast and secret place. Not only did they hold some of the world's largest gold depositories, but they were home to stashes belonging to the CIA and secret service.

Seventy feet below ground is an array of goods that includes bricks of cocaine, fake taxi cabs used for covert operations, bomb-proof state cars and security files meant for the eyes of the CIA only - nice booty for potential looters.

As Brink's-Mat security vans brought out Dollars 200m (pounds 137m) of gold from a safety store below 4 World Trade Centre, which was on the east side of the ruined complex, it emerged that someone had tried to get into the vaults, no doubt with robbery in mind.

Two weeks ago a security guard spotted scorch marks on a basement doorway which had not been noticed by a patrol team a few hours before. Behind the door were thousands of tonnes of gold and silver. It looked like someone had used a blowtorch and a crowbar and it prompted concerns that they may try to do so again. Video surveillance systems have now been installed.

As they dig amid the rubble, recovery workers are uncover ing corridors and gangways that lead to the cavernous vaults below. The 16-acre basement has enough square footage to fill a building of greater proportion than the Empire State building. Engineers and recovery officials say that large parts of the underground storage rooms are undamaged.

Since September 11 very little has been said about the treasures that lie below what has become a mass grave. But down there are piles of old furniture, a mountain of Godiva chocolates, stacks of illegal assault weapons, as well as jewels and more gold and silver.

Beneath the customs house - 6 World Trade Centre - was a fleet of government vehicles, including dozens owned by the secret service. The cars were kept in a sealed-off area, part of which was a garage which housed a single armoured limousine used to carry heads of state and dignitaries visiting the city.

The building also housed an office of the CIA containing drugs, weapons and contraband seized by customs officers. The bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms also lost two evidence vaults, according to a spokesman.

"There could be several hundred weapons - somewhere between 200 and 400, ranging from small-calibre semi-automatic pistols to assault rifles," he told the New York Times.

He said agents plan to be on the scene when the remains of the building are demolished some time in the next two weeks. "After that, we'll be working at the landfill to search for any missing items."

All Material Subject to Copyright

[Aquinasfan]

Vince Foster's photos.

Ron Brown's autopsy.

TWA 800's missile fragments . . .

Elvis.

The Spruce Goose.

Yeti.

[MissAmericanPie]

Whew Bump

[JRadcliffe]

"I should'a figured this stuff out long ago."

Yes you should have.

It is a possiblity. You don't think it is a good possiblity. I do. You're wrong. I won. HA HA!

[c. l. coffman]

I am grieving over the loss of all that Godiva Chocolate (sniff); DEAR GOD, IS NOTHING SACRED?!

[operation clinton cleanup]

Maybe this is why mayor G. wants less FDNY, NYPD roaming around the site waiting for bodies, collecting overtime.

[prambo]

Not with all those guns around; they'd obviously all have shot each other, or themselves, or the guns could have just jumped up and greased the bunch.

Those guns are dangerous - Sarah says so.

prambo

[JRadcliffe]

"Maybe this is why mayor G. wants less FDNY, NYPD roaming around the site waiting for bodies, collecting overtime."

Really? I wasn't aware of that. Where did you hear this?

[Aerial]

You may have seen this link by now:

New York Firefighters Clash With Police

I also saw a NY fire dept. spokesman on O'Reilly tonight. From the way he spoke the firemen are mad as hell and said they will do "whatever it takes" to get their brothers out.

Come Monday if the police will not give them access...there will be big trouble...wait and see.

[JRadcliffe]

Very interesting. Now is about the time for someone to come on and try to discredit us again. It always happens. You ever wonder who these people are?

[Aerial]

Take your pick.

[riley1992]

Thanks for the flag. You're right. Something is not sitting right with this at all.

[annalex]

Bump list

Here it is.

Agrarian; A.J.Armitage; AKbear; annalex; arimus; Askel5; Boxsford; Carbon; Carry_Okie; ClutchCargo; COB1; Common Tator; cornelis; CzarChasm; dcwusmc; Demidog; Diamond; diotima; eddie willers; fod; FReethesheeples; Gecko; gjenkins; H_Bunce; hammach; HENRYADAMS; Huck; independentmind; JimmyT; KingNo155; Lakey; Le-Roy; Lev; LSJohn; Lysander; MadameAxe; Maelstrom; MileHi; MrConfettiMan; Nebullis; nunya bidness; Okiereddust; OWK; patent; PatrickHenry; Pistias; ppaul; Precisian; randalcousins; RebelStorm; Red Redwine; ridensm; roughrider; secretagent; Sovereign_Citizen_W; steve-b; Storm Orphan; Superdisc; Sursum Corda; SwimmingUpstream; Tares; Texaggie79; tex-oma; TheHunter; ThJ1800; ThomasJefferson; tm22721; tpaine; TrailofTears; untenured; Uriel1975; Voice of the Far Right; Libertarians

[MadameAxe]

...or

[MadameAxe]

Thank you. I've stuck it in at the bottom of my profile, in case anyone wants to copy/paste it.

Regards

[F-117A]

New data collected by the United Nations indicates that most opium grown in Afghanistan this year was in areas controlled by the Northern Alliance...

The operative words are "this year". The Taliban is reported to have shut down production to boost the price of the large supply they already have.