The workers found the treasure trove bricked up in a cellar wall while working on a renovation project.
Constructions workers in the Belgium town of Dendermonde made a surprising discovery when they dug up about $10 million in gold bars and coins during a renovation project.
The Dendermonde Police Department said on social media that the workers found the gold while doing “groundworks.” Belgium outlet VRT said the workers, who were laying pipe for a sewer line, found the gold on Tuesday, bricked into the wall of a cellar.
The workers contacted local authorities, who collected the treasure trove and stored it in a high-security government vault, police said.
The police department shared photos on social media showing about 50 gold bars and piles of coins laid out on a table. The trove was estimated at 9 million euro, which equates to about $10.4 million.
Credit: Dendermonde Police
Dendermonde, Belgium, police took custody of dozens of gold bars and coins found during a renovation project this week.
The workers told VRT that they briefly considered keeping the money but decided it was impractical, and also illegal.
“It’s simply too much money,” said Kobe, 18, who discovered the gold. “If it were a few thousand euros, it might be feasible. But €9 million – you simply can’t keep that hidden.”
Kobe told VRT that he hopes that he and his colleagues will get a finder’s fee. But first authorities need to figure out who the money belongs to.
“For all we know, this discovery is the result of some kind of fraudulent activity and the gold has been hidden there,” a spokesperson for the building owner told VRT.
The police department warned “gold prospectors” to stay away from the site, saying there’s no more gold to be found there.
“Know that this is a construction site, fenced off, and with several dangerous pits,” the police said on social media. “Moreover, we have already passed through and everything is safely gone … so definitely do not take any unreasonable risks.”