As much as I love the title - oh I laughed so hard - I need to point out to tk that there is in fact a little "Edit" button up there underneath the title.

Alas, Dagnar Ragnerskold. I knew him well.

Hello tkstone,
Sounds like an inside job.
Regards,
O.A.

OK OK my bad. You know the secret love child between Dagney and Ragnar.

hahaha. maybe it was Ragnar...

Who's Dagnar?

Well, it did make LOCAL news... in our state capital's paper...

http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/03/03/4...

does that count?
:)

ps... "won't say whose gold it is"??? Maybe there's some contractual or legal privacy issues there? Huh? Just maybe, huh?

I'm wondering how well-guarded was this guard vehicle before it had so conveniently a break-down with three robbers then coming along.

In today's inflated world, $4.8 million isn't worth hijacking a truck for. Must've been a few kids taking advantage of a situation. With all the billionaires around, why bother with a measly $4.8 mil. when drug dealers are laundering many times that much?

It does rather shriek of collusion by the guards, does it not?

I like Dagnar!

"Jan Dagnar"

Being in the gold mining and production business over the years, I have watched (not witnessed, haha) numerous types of gold heists take place. They never work and they are almost without exception inside jobs.

From surreptitious carbon filters placed upon piping of preg solutions from an active heap leach, to straight out shipment heists - they were all caught. Especially shipments of what is called dore direct from a minesite refinery heading to a bullion refinery. Each deposit in the ground is slightly different and the dore produced on site has a unique geochemical signature that is cataloged and can be traced. Shipments are conducted under shifting unpredictable schedules and mixed with numerous fake shipments to throw off heisters. There are major protocols regarding chain of custody in place.

After the dore is refined at a reputable firm such as Engelhardt to a .999 fineness, the bars then have a serial number stamped on the bar. So, these guys, if they have swiped some refined bars will have to remelt and repour the gold. Not impossible, but the secrecy of such facilities is paramount which is tough given the allure of the activity.

There is indeed more than meets the eye yet to this story. Highly likely it is an inside job - just happening to "break down" (no backup?) in the right place and a van comes along in timely manner. And then can they actually get the gold repoured in some form without a reputable mint or refinery and placed back in the market domestic or international, without being caught?

For a minute there, I thought you were speculating on a female pirate, or a character combining, in one person, the qualities of Dagny Taggart and Ragnar Danneskjöld. And, error or not, it got my attention.

Now as to the contents of the article: remember, Ragnar would never hit a target like this. He hit only the "loot carriers"--the government relief ships, subsidy ships, loan ship, and gift ships. He would take off their cargoes, and sell them either to Midas Mulligan or to certain freedom fighters in Europe.

It looks like Ragnar has switched from ships to trucks.