The Command Post - Iraq - US TROOPS SEIZE $500M IN GOLD BARS

May 23, 2003

US TROOPS SEIZE $500M IN GOLD BARS

US soldiers in Iraq have seized a truck loaded with what was believed to be 2,000 gold bars worth as much as $500m at a routine search at a checkpoint near the Syrian border, the US military said.
"The bars may have a total worth of $500m dollars, depending on carat weight and purity," the US Central Command said.

Soldiers from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment stopped the Mercedes truck and its two occupants Thursday in Al Qaim.

They found 40-pound bars, measuring four inches by five inches by 10 inches.

"The occupants told the soldiers that they had been paid a total of 350,000 Dinars ($350) to pick up the truck in Baghdad and drive it to an unnamed individual in Al Qaim," US Central Command said in a statement.

Full story...

Posted By Michele Catalano at May 23, 2003 11:15 AM | TrackBack

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According to this article, 2 cents US is now 20 Dinars.

Posted by: TBox at May 23, 2003 11:21 AM

Tbox - Did you read the story? LMAO - WTF is a 'deposted' regime? I guess Saddam can't blog any more? LMAO...

Posted by: Dave Dube at May 23, 2003 11:28 AM

The "unnamed individual in Al Qaim" just has to be bummed over this. Even if this is a small part of his net worth, 2000 40 pound gold bars missing will likely be noted.

If I came home and said "Honey, I lost 2000 of our gold bars to the infidels today", I just know there would be some fallout in the homelife.

Posted by: Master Goldsmith at May 23, 2003 12:13 PM

Is this the same truckload as reported earlier?

Posted by: Master Goldsmith at May 23, 2003 12:26 PM

2000 bars at 40 pounds each is 40 tons. That must be one hell of a big truck.

Posted by: Jim at May 23, 2003 12:29 PM

Jim: Yeah, I was doing the math myself. Certainly not your average 18 wheeler. 80,000 lbs is just a trifle overloaded for the roads hereabouts.

Either some sort of military transporter, or one of the Australian-type long haul rigs, where you have a semi-trailer pulling a second trailer, or something got screwed in the translation.

Posted by: Jrm at May 23, 2003 01:01 PM

40 tons is lightweight, a tanden axle can carry that
I haul 80 tons on an internation tandem grain truck,
10 wheels, no fifth wheel.

The story says it was on a mecedes, so that means that it was a 10 wheeler, as mercedes truck co. doesn't make a fifth wheel tractor.
mabe it was a 6-10 ton traight reefer. makes sense according to the story.

Posted by: Bubba at May 23, 2003 05:07 PM

Ooops! sorry for the typos, these damn cookie crumbs keep getting in the Key board

Posted by: Bubba at May 23, 2003 05:09 PM

Bubba,
I know this is off-thread - can't help it. German Engineering brings it to mind.

How does FORD identify it's problems? It puts an oval around it. How do GM and Dodge identify theirs? They don't have any...

ANYWAY. German Engineering. It was a Mercedes, right? Do we wish it had been a Ford???

My 20 Dinars worth.

Posted by: Dave Dube at May 23, 2003 06:39 PM

Is it true they also found half eaten French Bread And Wine in The cab of this Truck? LOL

Posted by: AJ at May 24, 2003 08:11 AM

I'm sure the soldiers would gladly reduce the load to make it come out in the 'math'......"it was actually an old Datsun pickup with 2 gold bars ...."

Posted by: Jeff B at May 24, 2003 10:35 AM