Stories of the Highway Patrol

 

MP's Nab Suspect In Smuggling of Precious Metal

submitted by  George Blumenfield.

Garmisch, Oct 10 [Special]   A man of Danish citizenship was being questioned by German Police today concerning 300,000 marks worth of precious metal found in his car after he allegedly ran through a border checkpoint at Mittenwald, near here.

The suspect, Timber Jacobs, told police he did not know the metal was concealed in the car, but allegedly admitted that his entry into Germany yesterday on the Innsbruck-Mittenwald highway was his 16th illegal border crossing---all at different checkpoints

Compartments in Fenders

The metal, either platinum or white gold, was found in a false gas tank on the car and in compartments hidden in the fenders. The automobile bore American tourist plates. An additional set of French license plates was found in the trunk.

Jacobs was apprehended on the outskirts of Garmisch by two U.S. highway patrolmen, Sgt's Charles E. Biggs and George Blumenfield, and a German policeman, Karl Swartz, who had been notified of the border-running incident by German checkpoint authorities.

The patrolmen discovered the car abandoned on a side road two miles north of Mittenwald and found a gray suit coat when they searched it. Later they spotted a man wearing gray pants but no coat riding on a German truck hauling logs. When he saw the military police patrol jeep, he leaped from the truck and fled on foot, but was quickly apprehended and turned over to the German Police

The following article was taken from a copy of the Stars and Stripes dated Sunday, October 12,1952.

The name of the writer was not listed and therefore assumed to be one of the staff writers. The article was sent to me by George Blumenfield.

Sgt. George Blumenfeld, Det E - Garmisch