Builders unearth €9m gold loot sealed in walls of Belgian property

What the report says

Builders renovating a property in east Flanders, Belgium, found a large stash of gold bars and coins hidden in the walls of a cellar while drilling to install new sewage pipes. BBC World News reported that the discovery, made earlier this week, has been estimated by local media at about €9m and has prompted questions over who may ultimately be entitled to it.

The workers alerted police after uncovering the hoard, and officers moved the gold to a secure location. One of the builders, an 18-year-old student working a summer job, said the find initially looked like ordinary coins before the team realised it was something much more valuable. Site managers said keeping the treasure would not have been realistic and would have amounted to theft.

The property is owned by CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a welfare charity based in Dendermonde. Its director said he hoped any money recovered could help support the organization’s work. Local police have warned people not to turn up at the construction site searching for more treasure.

Under Belgian law, the rightful owner has five years to claim hidden treasure, and if no valid claim is made the find may be split between the discoverers and the property owner, provided investigators do not link it to criminal activity. A prosecutor has opened an investigation, but the source of the gold remains unknown.