An 18-year-old Belgian student working a summer construction job made an extraordinary discovery while helping excavate a sewer at a former brewery site in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, about 30km north-west of Brussels. What initially looked like ordinary €1 coins turned out to be part of a hidden gold hoard estimated at around €9 million. The stash included gold bars, coins and nuggets that had been concealed in a bag behind a bricked-up section of a cellar wall beneath a historic villa. The student, identified only as Kobe, and his colleagues immediately alerted police and the organisation overseeing the renovation. The treasure has since been secured while authorities investigate its origin and determine who legally owns the fortune.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
