Builders renovating a house in Belgium have discovered gold bars and coins worth €9m. The true owner now has 1,823 days to claim it

Builders renovating a property in Belgium have reportedly discovered a hoard of gold bars and coins worth around €9 million (£7.6 million) hidden inside the walls of its cellar.

According to the BBC, which cited local media reports, construction workers made the discovery earlier this week while drilling to install new sewage pipes.

The workers alerted police after finding the gold. The site manager, Mario, said keeping the hoard was not an option because of its sheer volume and the potential legal consequences.


Police have urged members of the public not to visit the active construction site in search of more treasure. The force, which even changed its Facebook profile picture to an image of a gold coin, said it hoped the discovery would end up in "the right place" and have a positive impact on people's lives.

The discovery has raised questions over who could ultimately claim the treasure. Both the builders who found the gold and the local charity that owns the property could potentially have a claim.

Police have launched an investigation and said the site has been thoroughly searched and the gold moved to a secure location. The identity of the rightful owner remains unknown.

Under Belgian law, the rightful owner of a hidden treasure has five years to come forward and claim it. The local prosecutor has also opened an investigation into the discovery.

If no legitimate owner comes forward within the stipulated period, Belgian civil law provides that hidden treasure found on another person's property can be divided between the person who discovered it and the owner of the property, provided the treasure is not connected to criminal activity.

That means the builders and the charity that owns the property could potentially have to wait up to 1,823 days to see whether someone claims the €9 million hoard.

If no valid claim is made, the gold could eventually be divided between the finders and the property owner. However, the final outcome will depend on the investigation and whether authorities establish that the treasure is not linked to any criminal activity.

The discovery has sparked widespread curiosity about the origin of the gold and how such a substantial hoard came to be hidden inside the property. Police have cautioned the public against attempting to access the site, saying the area has already been thoroughly searched.

For now, the €9 million hoard remains secured while authorities work to determine its history and identify its rightful owner.