Author(s): Scott Bainbridge

History

In 1966, international con-man Robert Gardner brought a highly skilled crew of grifters to New Zealand to pull off one of the biggest swindles in the country’s history. This was executed with professional precision, until two young office girls played detective and stumbled upon a crucial mistake – but was it too late? Gardner skipped the country and was successful in eluding the FBI, Interpol, the Royal Canadian Mounties and Scotland Yard. He was confident that, as everyone has their price, he could get away with it. He was wrong. Some people value integrity over money. This is the full story of the elaborate scam, which uncovered collusion with a high-powered organised crime group with links to the corrupt Sydney CIB, and shows how three Auckland detectives never gave up, playing cat and mouse around the world for two years to bring the offenders to justice.