Intelligence: Bugged Coins

Archives

January12, 2007: An espionage operation based in Canada was caught planting location monitors on American defense contractors who were visiting Canada. The electronics were hidden in Canadian coins, which the contractors had passed on to them innocently during some commercial transaction. The bugged coin is a relatively recent tool, made possible by improvements in miniaturizing electronic components, and the growing use of wireless devices. Each such coin has a unique ID. Similar electronics can be placed in just about anything, and often is, when you want to track someone without being detected. But you can detect these transmitters with the right equipment, and that's how the coins were probably discovered. It's no yet known, or acknowledged, who produced, or planted, the bugged coins, or for exactly what reason.

Canadian and U.S. intelligence officials say all this is overblown, but cannot comment further because the details are classified. The Canadians also pointed out that it's illegal to tamper with Canadian coins.

 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close