Page
Swindler
THE CHINA - MAIL SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, · 1954.
Unmasked
By The Coat Trick
Wo men, smartly
T
dressed, each carry- ing a
Д
bulky brief- entered cuse, jeweller's shop in Antwerp. "We'd like to buy some watches," said one of them ariably. "Perhaps you'd let us see some samples."
The jeweller. impressed by their air of affluence, produced a tray of his most valuable stock. To examine them more closely, one of the men handed the other his brief-case.
Then events moved with lightning speed.
A81'
Whipping out his lighter. the man with the two brief. made 127 pretenen about lighting a cigarette, but, with a quick downward action, tipped upside down the briefcases-they were both full
methylated spirit-and-splashed their contents on to the shop floor. Then he dropped his lighter, in the middle of the biggest pool.
of
SECRETS OF
INTERNATIONAL CRIME
The COMPLETE, authentic inside story of INTERPOL, the organisation which fights international crime all over the world, and has been the means of bringing thousands of criminals justico. Written with the full operation of the staff of INTERPOL
Ая
By A. J. FORREST
perfected by
to
Co-
her to dinner, found out that hor family had entrusted her with all their money, 4,000 florins, to liberate them, and, of course, pritented himself as the man with just the right International contacts to smuggle them out af of Austria.
pho
During thus dinner, given at mont Amsterdam's
the rumptuous eating places, maltro d'hotel sldjed up toʻhim to say that an important bank director was waiting in the hall to ace him. "Oh, let him wait," he reported, with a jordly air, and turning the girl, re- marked: "You-ece, he needs me, but I don't need him."
to
Toni B completely deceived, handed over the family's for- tune. But nothing happened. She waited for days.
"I'm doing my best," protested Siegfried W. "If you doubt me, ring the Foreign Minister's wife. She's saying at the hotel now, room No. 107, and she will tell wholeheartedly and you how tirelessly my skill is engaged on your family's behalf. In fact, their rescue is costing me for more than the honorarium you have given me. But a promise Is a promise, isn't it?"
Bluff Called
of glass, or course lumps of by clever sleight-of-hand with
a mere Wad of brown paper. rock crystal.
Ranking as one of the most elever dangerous international couple. whose misled are winders ever known, Siegfriedt rrent ded in deadly detail in W. born in Goezen on Novem- Interpol's Cles, it meant first of her 10, 1893, brought off possibly uit worming their way into the the greatest single coup in the wife had already been briefed. Victim's confidence, the basis of whole fabulous history of con-
VPLY Kurressful confidence Adence trickery, dis swindling of but Siegfried's mistress, a girl of
ck
pro-
bank of
As flames leapt high in the shop, the other partner scooped up the bulk of the
reputable Dutch 51 watches lying on the jewel-
twenty million florins. ler's counter, and, yelling The assured that the man
It was "fire" at the top of their concerned--sometimes he
a perfectly organised voices as if they themselves theed a charming "wife as his swindle, carried out at the time were rushing for help the foil-was a muine buyer, the Dr Schucht, then in charge of
his valuable Germany's finances, threatened jeweller unlocked two men durted out of the stock and permitted the pair to moratorium of Dutch assets in This man offered to re- shop, their asbestos under hands it. When this happened! France.
the following deem the bank's assets in Paris panta prolecting them from one in Zurich,
on an 87 percent basls, whereas damage from the roaring sevne took place. flames and vanished.
Left Stunned
As they had planned, their trick left the Antwerp jeweller stunned and pani.- stricken. He didn't know whether to call first the police or the fire brigade. It was a neat trick. And it had succeeded perfectly... so far.
The crooks scumpered off with 70,000 Belgian frunes* worth of first-quality watches. But they hardly had time to enjoy their haul. Interpol, speedily informed by the Brussels police, had an immediate line on the balting ruscals, having had earlier 'experience of their original technique. An international circular flashed out and a week later both were identified and arrested over the frontier in Holland.
The moral is obvious. Clover as an original trick may be for pulling off one coup, its perpetrators are marked men if they try it a second time.
The
trickster Lin
lo often tripped up over the most When a white - costed diner falsoy minor of hits crimes. complained that his overcoat had been stolen, the restau- rant manager readily paid him compensation to prevent a scone-but he informed the Paris Prefecture and put them
on the swindler's track,"
"These
beautiful üre
Mrs S., the "foreign minister's
She was not the lady specified,
German extruction who knew, or thought she know, us her master had advised, exactly bow to comfort the distracted Jewish girl. But Tepi B. was no con-
vinced.
The She went to the police. scoundrel's bluff was called. He was arrested and an incredible series of swindles and love affairs were uncovered,
For The
in
Man
Your Life
VIENNESE
TIES
SWISS
TIES
ENGLISH
TIES
TIE & HANDKERCHIEF SETS LEATHER CLOVES CASHMERE WOOLLIES
"BONSOIR" PYJAMAS "VIYELLA" PYJAMAS DRESS SHIRTS SWEATERS
"DAKS" TROUSERS
V IYELLA DRESSING GOWNS
FOR THE MAN WHO LIKES THE BEST
BRACES
"FORSYTHE" NYLON SHIRTS "VAN HEUSEN
SHIRTS
"VIYELLA"
SHIRTS
"WAR-
His
FIELD"
SHIRTS
Most of his gains, it seemned. were lavished on women. dangerous charm, plus his pre- tensions of refinement culture. ensnared themn.
To a certain Eva B., an aftṣac- tive young cabaret artist with whom he had lived for a time in Auneries, he gave gifts of ex- ceptional magnificence. But he did not for all their clone friendship, completely trust her For while such Items appeared in his personal budget as "2,000 florins to furter for Eva B's fur coat, 200 florins to jeweller for Iva B's gold ring there was one item of 610 florins listed as private delec- payment for
tive to shadow Eva B.
Once the lady in question had
at ctiven
100 more than kilometres 31 hear from Amsterdam to The Hague with the detective hot on her trall, following her in his car at the same mad pace. If Eva B. had a secret lover, Siegfried W. was determined to find out about him.
WAR
Police Net Closed
Often, it is a minor infringe- ment which projects an inter- national swindler into a limelight ho does not want One man played fairly common trick on a well-known restaurant in the Champs-Elysees.
with a there and girl friend swindler who lived at the rate of 200,000 to 300,000 francs a week Most prominent confidence.
always accompanied bry tricksters, according to the
pretty girls he claimed
Đại loạt head of Interpol's Individual
his pearl rival business undertakings folt that someone had stolen
ing said the quite lacapable of guaranteeing overcoat. To avold a sceno, the Cases Department, team up necklaces, my dear." into international gangs, but man, turning to his female ues more than a 60 percent return. manager reimbursed him in his Because of his excellent re private office for the loss. But they work in pairs, and complice. "But we can't really
Judgo which suits you better ferences faked oncs his he also reported the incident to change their partners fre- until we've matched the neck personal magnetion and friendly the Paris Prefecture. quently. "Many," he says, laccs against your now Parisian relations with the bank's direc
Jeweller "you Very promptly, the liquidated the kink in criminal psychology, got allow us to take them assets, diverting all the bank's on the track at a man wanted Foland, Austria, or farther back to our hotel on trial, just funds in Paris to his own uso. for fraud by many national behind the Iron Curtain. A for a few hours, or for opg number, highly skilled as night?"
"are refugee Jews, usually turning to the
evening gown. I wonder if tors he was given the contract. Thus Interpol, through a queer
from
Eastern Prussia, would
pickpockets, were document- "Oh, I do hope sot I would so ed in Interpol files when they love to select the one that shows were kept in Vienna before oft my dress best, sho said,
smiling winsqmely. the second world war.
Glass For Goms
"A pair will pull off a profitable trick in Stockholm. Then one partner will team un with another member of
Handed Savings
police forces.
Known under various altases as Pedra Frank and Peter Freyler, he had, among other His unscrupulousness knew no crimes, defrauded an Italian bounds. During the German
actress In Madrid 150,000
of occupation, when Dutch members pesetas, swinding u Laixom- The jawgder smlled back, well of wealthy families were held a bourger in Venice of 95,000 understanding this feminine hostages by the Nazla, perhaps Belgian francs, and the vanity. But he was still cautious, in retaliation for RAP raids or Czecholsovakian police reported
'Well," he said, "if you could let subversive action by, local that,
previous to 1989, he had
סו
have a sum equivalent in patriots, he went, time and again, been condemned nine times for worth to both necklaces, a big to their stricken relatives, offer theft and fraud. cash deposit, there would be no ing
your taking both objection to necklaces back to your hotel and cingly,
he emphasised_ponvin-
the gang, and work his next settling matters in the morning," who hold M. (men- millions, but it was a meru oveF-.
fraud in Cairo or Barcelona. "That is most generous of you. I haven't, however, sufficent
tioning the family's
Finally, when the Interpol net '"I am fortunate to have closed in on him, he was picked with high ranking up in derion, living ne usual in officers, in fact the grand style. Ho #windled in
Perhaps, five years later, he ready cash in your Swiss brother) a prisoner. For a con
father or coat or lack of one-that bo will appear in company with cure but I could let you to a Fur, betrayed himl bla Stockholm, accomplice, have it in dollars,"
released imantdiately. I shall International swindlers pick from Gang membara remain very "Oh yes, that will be in of course bo only too happy to their victim, usually loyal to each other.
wealthy They orde
act as intermediary
among the world's seldom 'split.' Their one
Gladly
they gave him their tourists with ncrupulour care accumulated savings sometimes and skill. They spend hundreda inducement to do no appears
all they hadulations and mopy well predik,
his influence in pulling out the beft. It le if the gang keeps them short
being
their at money
scienda were excicuted, and their The Jeweller watched the pros fortunes, cetlysed
wyer count out the scoundrel,
the wad
Once, he
European Jewellers, in-
ing some shrewd London,' itbe and silversmiths, Neve buffered, big losses Itution, tricks, Vin 'ofidiamonds, their. "they find "theme:
Sleight-Of-Hand
his promies
made her cholos
nil
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