http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/2000/09/13/timnwsnws02044.html September 13, 2000 BY ANDREW NORFOLK DETECTIVES baffled by the theft of Bletchley Park's prized Enigma coding machine are using codebreakers to crack intricate riddles which they hope will lead to its recovery. The museum that housed the 100,000 Second World War cipher device has received a mysterious letter from someone offering to return it in exchange for 10,000. But the letter, typed on a wartime typewriter, is written in such an unusual style - and signed with a word that does not exist in the English dictionary - that police are convinced that it holds the clues to the machine's whereabouts. Now they want to open negotiations with the author. The Enigma machine was used by German military intelligence, the Abwehr, for ultra secret communications between the Nazi high command. It was stolen from a glass display case at the Buckinghamshire museum during an open day on April 1. At least four people were involved in the raid, which police say could not have succeeded without expert inside knowledge of both Bletchley Park and the Enigma machine. Police have taken hundreds of finger-prints from museum visitors, questioned staff in detail and conducted an extensive search of the building and grounds. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Chesterman described the letter, sent last week, as "the most significant development in the investigation". One sentence reads: "I have been asked by the current owner the above Enigma machine, who purchased it in good faith (in good faith being the operative word) to say and tell you now today, the unwitting person having no ultimate desire of depraving your august self or anyone the pleasure to see it again." Police have refused to reveal the unusual word which appears at the end of the letter. The main clue to the letter's authenticity is a photographed copy of the unique number plate, G312, which was attached to the stolen machine. Expert codebreakers are now studying the letter, which purports to come from a middle man representing someone who innocently bought the Enigma machine, not realising that it had been stolen, and who now wants to return it in exchange for compensation equal to the sum paid and immunity from prosecution. Mr Chesterman said yesterday that the police were willing to deal with the author as the letter requested. *==============================================================* "Communications without intelligence is noise; Intelligence without communications is irrelevant." Gen Alfred. M. Gray, USMC ================================================================ C4I.org - Computer Security, & Intelligence - http://www.c4i.org *==============================================================*
