Press release from Channel Nine
The Great Mint Swindle, an extraordinary tale about the most famous gold heist in Australia’s history, premieres Sunday, March 11, at 8.30pm on Channel Nine.
The story of a major crime that remains unsolved to this day begins with an elaborate sting at the Perth Mint. It ends two decades later with a chilling car-bomb assassination and a wretched suicide.
At the centre of it all is a bitter war between two brotherhoods: the Mickelbergs and the police.
On one side is Ray Mickelberg (Grant Bowler), a decorated SAS Vietnam veteran with a dubious reputation after manufacturing a huge fake nugget. His offsiders are his larrikin brothers Peter Mickelberg (Todd Lasance), 14 years his junior, and pilot Brian Mickelberg (Josh Quong Tart).
On the other side is Detective Donald Hancock (Shane Bourne) – “The Silver Fox”. Some say he was a fearless champion of justice, others a sinister rogue cop. His loyal number two was Detective Tony “Lewi” Lewandowski (John Batchelor), an easily lead thug who, in the end, is left holding the scales of justice. He alone must decide which brotherhood will prevail.
Was Hancock’s approach a case of “noble cause” corruption? Or something more sinister?
At the time of the crime, the Perth Mint was leaking like a sieve. However, ripping it off in an audacious gold heist was like striking at the heart of Perth’s establishment. Someone had to go down for the crime, and fast.
Once the police have the Mickelbergs in the frame they stop at nothing to get a conviction. Now, rotting in maximum security prison, the brothers forge an unbreakable bond and embark on a 20-year battle to clear their names.
Told through the eyes of Peter Mickelberg, the infamous Perth Mint swindle is the Wild West’s most celebrated unsolved crime. It is a story that reaches from notorious criminals and dodgy cops to captains of industry and the highest courts in Western Australia.
This saga is a mysterious tale of greed, rat cunning and the allure of gold. It’s about the selling of souls, police corruption, the desperate need for redemption and the pursuit of justice.
The Great Mint Swindle: Sunday, March 11, at 8.30pm on Channel Nine.