November 4, 2001	Sunday	Shaba’an 17, 1422

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 $200 million 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 uncovering 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.

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. —Dawn/The Guardian News Service.