A routine sewer project in Belgium turned into an extraordinary treasure hunt when construction workers uncovered gold bars, rare coins and other valuables worth around 9 million euros (nearly Rs 100 crore). The discovery was made in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, about 30 km northwest of Brussels, during underground pipe replacement work.
Kobe, an 18-year-old summer worker, came across the stash while working with other members of the construction team. What initially looked like ordinary €1 coins soon turned out to be something far more valuable.
18-year-old worker makes the discovery
Kobe was working at the site on Tuesday when the workers noticed something buried underground. "We suddenly saw something lying there. At first I thought it was €1 coins. Then we saw a gold bar. It turned out to be a bit more than we thought."
The workers continued examining the area and soon realised they had stumbled upon a much larger collection of valuables. Kobe later described the discovery as something that would not normally happen during an ordinary workday. "It's just not something you expect on a regular Tuesday morning," Kobe said.
Gold was hidden inside an old cellar wall
The treasure was not simply lying loose beneath the ground. According to the report, workers found gold coins, nuggets and numbered bullion bars inside a bag that had been sealed into a bricked-in cellar wall. The cellar was located beneath a grand villa built in the late 19th century for brewery owner Theophilus Van Assche.
The way the valuables had been stored suggested that someone had deliberately hidden them there. The property has a long connection with brewing. Brewing operations at the site began in 1899 and continued until 1970.
Historic building is being renovated
The old property is now undergoing major renovation. CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a social welfare organisation, is redeveloping the site to create new offices and housing. The property's wrought-iron gates still carry the initials "VA", linked to the Van Assche family.
Geert Hillaert of CAW described the scale of the renovation work. "The Brouwershuis was a beautiful building, but it is being completely destroyed. Ultimately, only the walls will remain," Geert Hillaert of CAW told HLN.
The discovery came as workers were carrying out the underground work as part of the redevelopment.
Authorities move gold to secure facility
Authorities quickly took control of the discovery and moved the treasure to a secure facility in Brussels. The next question is not simply how much the gold is worth, but who legally owns it.
Officials are investigating where the treasure came from and whether it could have been stolen or connected to any crime. Hanne Ollevier from the East Flanders prosecutor's office said investigators first need to establish the history of the gold before deciding who can legally claim it.
Workers may have to wait for a reward
Several parties could potentially have a claim to the treasure. These include the contractors working on the property, the social welfare organisation that owns the site and descendants of the Van Assche family. Belgian law gives rightful owners at least five years to come forward and claim discovered treasure.
That means the workers who found the gold will not simply be able to take it home. Kobe acknowledged that the scale of the discovery meant it had to be reported.
"If it had been a few coins, maybe not. But maybe we'll get some kind of finder's reward eventually," he said. For now, the multimillion-euro treasure remains secured while authorities work to establish its origin and rightful ownership.
