A detailed sweep of the Waiouru Army Museum has located a number of objects police believe could be linked with the theft of 100 military medals worth millions of dollars.
Video: Police step up hunt for medals
This morning's grid search focused on finding material or metallic objects possibly left during Sunday's early morning raid, it has been reported.
About 100 medals, valued at around $10 million, were plundered in the brazen raid, including nine Victoria Crosses (VCs) - the nation's highest award for bravery during battle.
Among the VCs looted were the VC and bar awarded to famous World War 2 soldier Captain Charles Upham.
Two rare George Crosses, an Albert Medal, a Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medal were also taken in the burglary.
It was revealed at a press conference today that police are analysing four minutes of security footage - from when the thieves entered the museum through a fire exit until they fled with the medals.
Inspector Steve Mastrovich, of Ruapehu police, said the speed of the raid showed it was planned.
"It was a quick burglary which is an indication of some degree of planning and expertise".
Part of the police inquiries will be canvassing the people of Waiouru, including the 500 soldiers at the army base.
A border alert has been put in place to prevent any of the medals from leaving the country.
Prime Minister Helen Clark today joined her Defence Minister Phil Goff in saying the heist was a crime against the nation.
"This is a crime that has revolted the whole country. We all know what those men who earned those medals did. Those medals should not be on the market. They should not be stolen," she said on TVNZ's Breakfast programme.
"It's a crime against the nation. The men who earned those medals performed outstanding acts of heroism and to think that someone would specifically target them for a theft like that appals everybody."
New Zealand had recently signed up to international conventions that required the return of illicitly acquired cultural property, making it hard for the thieves to sell the medals, she said.
"It would be very hard to put them on the market in a lot of countries where they would have meaning because the New Zealand market would have the legal means to get them back.
But she was concerned the medals may have been stolen to order.
"Is there some very reclusive wealthy collector who has had them stolen to order? And if that were the case then of course they would not come on to the market."
The key focus now had to be on identifying cars around Waiouru at the time of the heist.
Miss Clark appealed for the thieves to "drop the medals in a letter box somewhere" so they could get back to their rightful place.
HOTLINE
Mr Mastrovich said a major criminal investigation had been launched.
A hotline, 0800-349-0606, was immediately set up by police for the public to call with any information about the medals or the thieves.
Mr Mastrovich said police wanted to piece together movements in Waiouru and identify vehicles, where they were parked in the town and the direction they were travelling when they left.
He said the burglars got into the museum via a rear fire escape and went directly to the Valour Alcove where they broke into two display cases, emptying one and partly emptying another.
Mr Mastrovich told NZPA there was a third display case in the room that was not touched, maybe because the offenders ran out of time when the alarm was tripped. "It doesn't look as if it was a spur of the moment thing," he said.
FAMILIES PLEAD FOR MEDALS' RETURN
The distraught families of war heroes have pleaded for the return of the stolen medals.
Charles Upham's daughter, Virginia Mackenzie, said the theft was distressing to her family and ultimately to all New Zealanders.
"It's astounding," she said. "It's not only a loss to the family, it's also the other families who have lost theirs. And I think the average New Zealander would feel gutted.
"I can't imagine the type of people who would do this, it's beyond my comprehension."
Ms Mackenzie said she had great faith in the police and was positive the medals would be recovered.
Doug Elliott, son of Keith Elliott who won the Victoria Cross in North Africa in 1942, said family members were upset. "They can steal the medal but they can never take it away from Dad. He'll always be Keith Elliott, VC."
Mr Elliott said he had arranged for the medal to be displayed at Waiouru soon after his father's death in 1989. He had believed the medals were safe.
"I thought it was like Fort Knox."
Chief of Army Major General Lou Gardiner said it would be speculation to say the medals had been stolen to order or taken for ransom.
"These medals were awarded to their recipients for their extraordinary valour and have come to symbolise the huge sacrifices that all New Zealanders made in the many conflicts fought for the freedoms we have come to accept," General Gardiner said.
Museum executive trustee Don McIver said that, combined, the medals could fetch millions.
The VC awarded to Corporal Willie Apiata this year was not among the medals stolen.
War medals expert Alan Polaschek said the thieves' haul could be worth more than $10 million. Victoria and George crosses were so well recognised, however, it would be almost impossible to sell them on the open market.

I'm not sure which disturbs me the most:
*The fact that they were stolen
*There is a 6hr timeframe in which they went missing (what was security doing when the alarm was raised)
*If they are sold, the theives will only get a fraction of what the medals are worth and therefore insulting the medals true value (valor/bravery) even more
Totally agree with Infern0's suggestion about the sandwich board although I would have them touring a few NZ Military bases as well. Their bodies would probably be found a few days later but I don't think NZ would shed much of a tear.

i was wondering what lord ashcrofts reaction to this was going to be.

A $200,000 reward is being offered for the return of medals stolen from the Waiouru Army Museum.
Defence Minister Phil Goff confirmed this morning that the reward money was being put up by British businessmen and politician Lord Michael Ashcroft, who has the largest collection of Victoria Crosses in the world.
Mr Goff said the offer was being communicated to police to coordinate.
Baron Ashcroft told NewstalkZB's Paul Holmes this morning he was shocked by the break-in, describing the Upham VC and Bar as the "Holy Grail" of VCs.
News of the brazen theft of millions of dollars worth of war medals has made it around the world, with reports on the robbery making headlines in China, France, the UK, and New York.
The full force of international law will be used to seek the return of the stolen war medals as "cultural objects" if they surface overseas, Prime Minister Helen Clark says.
She has rejected as unlikely a political motive for the theft - and said yesterday she believed Victoria Crosses and other medals stolen from the Army Museum at Waiouru had been stolen to order.
"My best guess would be that this is a steal-to-order theft. These people knew what they were after."
New Zealand has only recently signed up to two international treaties allowing the return of stolen cultural objects - one of them coming into force just months ago.
About 100 medals were stolen from the museum, including the VC and Bar won by New Zealand's most decorated World War II soldier, Captain Charles Upham.
Museum bosses say they may consider offering a reward for the return of the medals, as police begin contacting dealers and collectors in New Zealand and overseas.
Prominent military historian Glyn Harper said the theft "bears all the hallmarks of a professional burglary".
He advised all collectors and museums to review security.
Inspector Steve Mastrovich of Ruapehu said more than 20 officers were in Waiouru yesterday, with more staff to be drafted in today.
Police would try to talk to everyone in Waiouru, about 500 people.
Medal dealers and collectors everywhere would be alerted to Sunday's theft.
A medal expert at Dunbar Sloane Auctions said the theft was one of the largest of its kind in the world. He estimated the Victoria Crosses alone would have a market value of more than $5 million.
VC's had sold in recent years for about $500,000 and Charles Upham's unique double VC would be worth far more than that.
But the stolen medals would be impossible to sell on the open market because there were so few collectors and everybody knew who they were.
Michael Maxton, of Britain's Ashcroft Trust and an expert on the Victoria Cross, speculated the medals were likely to be held for ransom.
The trust cares for a tenth of the 1357 VCs awarded since 1856.
Dr Harper said there was still a black market for medals - "some people have a lot of money and not all have the ethics which preclude them from buying something stolen".
Army Museum executive trustee Don McIvor said a reward was not being offered at this stage but an incentive could be considered later.
The Defence Force's insurance covered the museum and the insurer had been contacted, he said.
New Zealand's newest VC recipient, Corporal Willie Apiata, said the theft was distressing. He urged the public to help police recover them.
"The families of those who were awarded the missing medals have been robbed of a personal connection to their loved ones and New Zealand has been robbed of the link," he said.

I hope they catch these guys and throw 'em in jail for a LONG time.

Prime Minister Helen Clark has cautiously welcomed a $200,000 reward for the return of about 100 war medals stolen in the Waiouru War Museum heist at the weekend.
Lord Michael Ashcroft, owner of the world's largest collection of more than 40 Victoria Crosses, today said he was shocked by the theft of the medals and offered a $200,000 award for information leading to their return.
Miss Clark today said the offer was generous, but she would need to take police advice on it.
"One of the issues that always arises is whether you should encourage the posting of such offers because it could in the worst of circumstances be an incentive to theft," she told reporters.
"On the other hand the offer is obviously made on very good faith and I'd like to get police advice on that."
Defence Minister Phil Goff said he had asked police to process and implement the offer, but most New Zealanders would not need the money as motivation.
"For most New Zealanders that reward won't be necessary. They will provide the information if they know anything that will help the police," he told reporters.
"But for some people that may be the incentive that is required especially if there is any connection with the offenders so we've thanked him for that offer."
Mr Goff again appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
National has called for security at military museums to be reviewed, but Mr Goff said that was already happening.
He said he had asked the Defence Force to make sure it was following best practice from around the world in regard to its security arrangements.
But he said he was not in favour of showing replicas as a security measure.
"What New Zealanders want to see is not a replica of a medal, but the real thing.
"It would be a shame if this sort of incident meant we had to keep the real medals in vaults where they would never be seen. That would defeat the purpose."
He reiterated that he believed the heist, which took just four minutes, was a professional job, possibly to fill an overseas order.
POLICE TO QUESTION EVERYONE IN WAIOURU
Inspector Steve Mastrovich of Ruapehu said more than 20 officers were in Waiouru yesterday, with more staff to be drafted in today.
Police would try to talk to everyone in Waiouru, about 500 people.
Medal dealers and collectors everywhere would be alerted to Sunday's theft.
A medal expert at Dunbar Sloane Auctions said the theft was one of the largest of its kind in the world. He estimated the Victoria Crosses alone would have a market value of more than $5 million.
VC's had sold in recent years for about $500,000 and Charles Upham's unique double VC would be worth far more than that.
But the stolen medals would be impossible to sell on the open market because there were so few collectors and everybody knew who they were.
Michael Maxton, of Britain's Ashcroft Trust and an expert on the Victoria Cross, speculated the medals were likely to be held for ransom.
The trust cares for a tenth of the 1357 VCs awarded since 1856.
Dr Harper said there was still a black market for medals - "some people have a lot of money and not all have the ethics which preclude them from buying something stolen".
Army Museum executive trustee Don McIvor said a reward was not being offered at this stage but an incentive could be considered later.
The Defence Force's insurance covered the museum and the insurer had been contacted, he said.
New Zealand's newest VC recipient, Corporal Willie Apiata, said the theft was distressing. He urged the public to help police recover them.
"The families of those who were awarded the missing medals have been robbed of a personal connection to their loved ones and New Zealand has been robbed of the link," he said.

Forensic scientists today completed their examination of the Waiouru Army Museum but police are doing more investigations at the scene of the weekend medal heist before allowing the museum to reopen.
Inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Bensemann reiterated his confidence that evidence found so far would help identify those responsible for stealing the 100 gallantry medals, including nine VCs.
But when he spoke to reporters today he would not reveal the items recovered from inside and outside the museum or what the museum's closed circuit TV cameras had shown early on Sunday morning when the medals were stolen.
He said giving such details now would be detrimental to the police investigation.
"The scene examination has provided us with a lot of information that will assist in identifying the person or persons responsible for this crime," Mr Bensemann said.
"The museum CCTV system has been extremely helpful but at this stage I am not prepared to say how it has assisted this investigation. . . It has told us a few things that occurred on the night."
Police, accompanied by about 20 military police, started canvassing all occupants of the Waiouru township and military camp today, asking people where they were at the time of the robbery and if they heard or noticed anything unusual.
Mr Bensemann said police were still seeking help from anyone in Waiouru or surrounding area on Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
"There must be someone out there that saw something, however small it might be, that could assist in solving this investigation."
He would not confirm reports that police were focusing on a van parked across the road from the museum at the time of the robbery.
Meanwhile ESR scientists finished their work at Waiouru today and returned to Wellington with material collected from inside and outside the museum.
Police had hoped to return the museum to army control late today, so it could be reopened to the public.
But after detectives reopened their investigation at the scene this afternoon, Mr Bensemann said there were "still some areas of interest that I wish covered off", so they were going to remain there for another day or two.
Photographs of the stolen medals and biographic details of the recipients would be placed on the police internet site later today. The same details would be distributed to overseas authorities.
Mr Bensemann said he would consult with police headquarters about the $200,000 offer from British medal collector Lord Michael Ashcroft for information leading to the stolen medals' return.
He said it was a "generous and gracious offer" but he wanted to establish whether it would help or hinder the police operation. He hoped a decision on the offer would be made within a couple of days.
The 0800 information line, 0800VALOUR, has been used by members of the public to pass on information to the police inquiry team which has grown to 40 officers.
The army has provided the team with office space in the Waiouru Military Camp, along with accommodation and meals.

Its unbelievable that that should be allowed to happen.YES allowed to happen.If the physical and electronic security was adequate(something which doesnt cost loads of cash)then it could NEVER hapen.The museum curators should have their arses kicked.I myself am a Master locksmith and dispell the myth that anything can be broken into.Its only corner cutting or cheapskating on security that has left these medals unsafe. Lets hope it was a proffessional job and then the medals may be recoverable.If it was ameteurs they may well dump them when they realise how difficult to sell they are.That doesnt bear thinking about.
This also makes me worried.My family have a VC on loan to the Imperial war museum in London.I hope their security is adequate.I may well make a visit to ease my mind as its been many years since I last went.

Breaking through complicated locks etc. are a thing of hollywood isn't it? I've seen some shows with professional locksmiths going on about their jobs and the services they provide and it takes them a pretty long time.

Originally Posted by sven hassell

Its unbelievable that that should be allowed to happen.YES allowed to happen.If the physical and electronic security was adequate(something which doesnt cost loads of cash)then it could NEVER hapen.The museum curators should have their arses kicked.I myself am a Master locksmith and dispell the myth that anything can be broken into.

Depends on what sort of locks you are using. I work in a security Dept for a museum, we have a supervisor who deals with the buying/organizing the installation of locks and find that Bi-Locks are the most expensive but then again, because of their construction, they are also the most reliable.
I havn't seen anything about how they actually got in, for all we know they may have dropped in through the roof after all it's certainly been done before. Peronally if they have gone in via the door then I'd say inside job. I'm just still curious about that 6hr timeframe before discovery.

sven, it was a pure brute force attack....kicked their way in through a fire escape then ripped the armour glass out


another thing worth noting is that this muesum is in the middle of bloody no where