Spies embedding tiny transmitters in Canadian coins
OTTAWA — They say money talks, and a new report suggests Canadian currency is indeed chatting, at least electronically, on behalf of shadowy spies.
Canadian coins containing tiny transmitters have mysteriously turned up in the pockets of at least three American contractors who visited Canada, says a branch of the U.S. Defense Department.
Security experts believe the miniature devices could be used to track the movements of defence industry personnel dealing in sensitive military technology.
“You might want to know where the individual is going, what meetings the individual might be having and, above all, with whom,†said David Harris, a former CSIS officer who consults on security matters.
“The more covert or clandestine the activity in which somebody might be involved, the more significant this kind of information could be.â€
The counterintelligence office of the U.S. Defense Security Service cites the currency caper as an example of the methods international spies have recently tried to illicitly acquire military technology.
The service’s report, Technology Collection Trends in the U.S. Defense Industry, says foreign-hosted conventions, seminars and exhibits are popular venues for pilfering secrets.
The report is based on an analysis of 971 “suspicious contact reports†submitted in the fiscal year 2005 by security-cleared defence contractors and various official personnel.
“On at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006, cleared defense contractors’ employees traveling through Canada have discovered radio frequency transmitters embedded in Canadian coins placed on their persons,†the report says.
Read more on: canada.com
Whoa, that’s…uhh…..scary. I wonder if the coin is weighed more lightly with a transmitter inside. 
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