Builders renovating a property in Dendermonde, Belgium, discovered gold worth €9 million hidden inside a wall. The find was reported to the police immediately, as reported by infohub.kz.
The workers did not consider keeping the treasure for themselves. Site manager Mario told VRT: "There are so many coins and bars - it would be almost impossible to hide them. Besides, that would be theft." Builder Kobe agreed: "€9m – you simply can't keep that hidden."
The property currently belongs to CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a welfare organization in Dendermonde. Its director, Geert Hillaert, said his first reaction was "surprise and amazement", and he hoped the find could eventually support the charity's work and meet the "enormous need we experience daily".
Local police urged the public not to visit the active construction site looking for treasure. The force said it hoped the discovery would end up in "the right place" and change people's lives. Under Belgian law, the rightful owner has five years to claim the hoard, though the local prosecutor, who has launched an investigation, said it was not yet known who this might be.
If no one comes forward, civil law states that hidden treasure on someone else's property is divided between the finder and the property's owner, provided the loot is not linked to criminal activity. The builders and the charity now face a wait of up to 1,823 days for an owner to come forward. If no one successfully claims it, silence truly will be golden.