A routine renovation turned into an exceptional discovery in Belgium. Workers in a building in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, East Flanders, unearthed a chest filled with gold bars and coins. The total value of the treasure is estimated at around 9 million euros. The loot was hidden behind a wall and only came to light during its demolition. The workers were in a building occupied by CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a Flemish social welfare center.
A chest appears behind the wall
The construction company's employees, who were in charge of the renovation, were demolishing part of the building when they discovered the hiding place. Behind the wall was a crate containing a considerable amount of gold, in the form of bars and coins. Given the significance of the discovery, the workers informed their supervisor, who then alerted the authorities. The local police in Dendermonde came to recover the treasure. All of the gold was then taken into custody by the authorities.
The 9 million euros worth of gold placed in a federal vault
A special operation was launched to secure this fortune. Police officers inventoried the contents before transferring them to a secure location. "The gold was recovered by our services, inventoried, and stored in a high-security vault belonging to the federal government ," stated the local police. The treasure is currently valued at nearly 9 million euros , making this discovery particularly spectacular.
The mystery surrounding the owner of the gold remains unsolved.
One crucial question remains unanswered: to whom does this treasure belong? For now, no official information has been released to determine the origin of the ingots and coins, nor how long they had been hidden behind this wall. The circumstances under which this fortune was concealed within the building also remain unknown.
Police warn treasure hunters
The revelation of this discovery could attract curious onlookers to the site. The Dendermonde police have therefore issued a very clear warning to anyone tempted to go to the construction site in search of other valuables. The building is currently under construction, the grounds are fenced, and several wells pose a danger. The police also stated that they have already inspected the site. "We have already inspected the site, and everything has been safely recovered. So don't take any unnecessary risks!" the police warned.
After spending an indeterminate amount of time just centimeters from the building's occupants, the €9 million worth of gold has now been removed from its hiding place and placed in a highly secure vault belonging to the Belgian state. The question now is who hid it behind that wall, and why.
