Police raid safe deposit offices http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7431919.stm Police have raided a safety deposit box firm's offices which they suspect have been used to store criminal assets. The company is believed to be a front for organised crime gangs operating in firearms, money laundering, human trafficking, drugs and prostitution... the [raided] firm, Safe Deposit Centres Limited, Mr Yates told reporters. And another... Gold 'find' in safe deposit raids http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7442644.stm Six suitcases packed with suspected gold dust and about £30m in cash have been found during searches of safety deposit centres in London, police say. Detectives also found heroin and cocaine, evidence linked to child sex abuse and forged passports.... Armed police continue to guard the buildings as specialist officers search the 7,000 safety deposit boxes. So far only a third of the boxes have been opened and the finds have also included a firearm, counterfeit currency, several works of Renaissance art and a substantial amount of high value jewellery... (and the kicker).... A call centre has been set up to help restore depositors to their property on 0800 030 4613. ' Wow! So after drag netting some 2,300 "Private" Safe Deposit Boxes and seizing all contents, police recovered some drugs, an unknown amount of counterfeit currency, something related to child pornography, ONE firearm, 6 suitcases of gold dust (whoopee), 30 Million Pounds in Cash money (which is still very much legal to posses, which explains why its in a safe deposit box) several works of Precious Art....and, "a substantial amount of high value jewelry", which, on the face it, SOUNDS LIKE VERY NORMAL ITEMS TO FIND STORED IN A SAFE DEPOSIT BOX. Now the owners of the boxes - even if they're totally unrelated to the criminal investigation (and by the looks of it, most of them are) - must call police, (who now have their assets on record) to get them back. Uh, Hi. My name is Sir Winston McStuffleton. That early Picasso you recovered from Box 2283 is mine. Oh. You mean the one thats appreciated 10 Million Pounds since you reported it on your Tax Return 15 years ago??.....Righto, Chap. We'll just send a squad car over to pick you up for a trip to the booking office so we can arraign you on charges of Federal Tax Evasion. 2-4 years Time Served if your a good, Bloke.
Always bury your treasure I guess. The crime fighter said, "What are you doing with all that cash, you know, more than pocket change? What are you doing possessing gold, jewelry, family heirlooms, a work of art etc. Do you have proof that you are the rightful owner, etc." Just to be safe, sounds like you should only have government approved items in your safe box, you know, like gooberment bonds.
Spot on, dude. Brings up a whole host of thorny issues, don't it? Guilty until proven innocent. Government dragnets for "public safety". Financial privacy is now vilified as "Criminal behavior". The trend is toward Government conjuring any excuse to get in the door and snoop around to find whatever dirt they can to haul you off and take your money.