A hotel in Japan has reported missing one of two 18K gold tubs. The BBC picked up the story:

Staff reported the tub was missing on Wednesday at the Kominato Hotel Mikazuki, a resort overlooking the Pacific Ocean, east of Tokyo.

Police said they had no idea how it was stolen, saying they had found no sign it was dragged on the floor.

The tub weighed 80kg (175lb) and was made of 18-carat gold.

It was normally chained to the door and padlocked when the room was closed, Japanese TV reported.

I think two people could easily carry 200lbs, and they certainly could lift it onto a dolly. The bigger question might be why the only control for a million dollar gold object was a chain and padlock. It wasn’t locked to the floor with secure bolts? Even for earthquake safety? Dual-purpose controls are often easier to justify in terms of expense, especially when there are regulations driving one.

One might think a camera would be in place in a hotel, but since this object involved bathing, perhaps someone thought privacy would be at risk. Fair enough, but the trade-off should have led to compensating controls rather than none at all.

In terms of suspects, the article does mention that only the men’s bathtub disappeared…