Belgian student Kobe unearths $10.4 million gold stash during summer construction job
An 18-year-old Belgian student named Kobe discovered a stash of gold bullion bars and coins valued at over $10.4 million while working on a construction site in Dendermonde. The discovery occurred on a Tuesday morning while workers were laying drainage pipes for a sewage system in a former brewery. The gold was found hidden inside a plastic bag within a bricked-in cellar wall of a villa originally built for brewery owner Theophilus Van Assche in the late 19th century. Kobe and his colleagues immediately notified the police and the property owner, a social welfare organization. The treasure is currently held in a secure facility in Brussels while authorities investigate its legal ownership. Under Belgian law, a five-year waiting period is required for potential owners to come forward. If no owner is identified, the gold may be divided between the finder and the property owner, provided it is not determined to be criminal money. Kobe expressed interest in receiving a finder's reward for the significant discovery.
Sources
-
$10 Million in Gold Found Buried Under Former Brewery in Belgium
The New York Times
-
Construction workers strike gold at work – literally
CNN
-
18-Year-Old Finds Rs 98 Crore Treasure During Sewage Work In Belgium
NDTV
-
Belgian student strikes gold worth €9m while digging a new sewer
The Guardian
-
Construction workers find gold stash estimated to be worth $10 million during renovations in Belgium
CBS News