Kobe, an 18-year-old student in his first week of work during the summer vacation, found with a co-worker, ingots, coins and gold blocks worth 9 million euros during sewage works. Police have been alerted and the treasure is now in an armored safe. Meanwhile, authorities have received dozens of claims, including from a person who claims to have hidden gold from a previous life.

(Staff: Belgium / History & Crime)

The 9 million euro treasure discovered in a wall

On Tuesday, August 14, 2026, around 8:15 a.m., the life of two workers at a construction site in Dendermonde changed forever. Kobe, an 18-year-old student at his first week of vacation work that year, and a colleague from the “brand” construction company made an astonishing discovery while digging for a new sewer in the building of the former Brouwershuis (Casa Berarului), the property of the CAW Social Assistance Center.

As they broke a brick foundation to be able to install the pipes, they spotted something that appeared to be one-euro coins. “We started digging and saw a block of gold. Then we brought everything out and it turned out to be a little more than I thought. It was about 9 million euros. It’s a lot of gold,” Kobe told VTM Nieuws.

The treasure, worth 9 million euros, was composed of gold bars, coins and gold blocks. According to the site manager, the gold was not in a chest, but was wrapped in a simple plastic bag and built into a basement wall, which suggests that it was intentionally hidden.

The student immediately called his boss and the police

Kobe said the discovery was a total surprise. “You don’t expect something like this on a typical Tuesday. It’s shocking, but you know you have to hand over such a big treasure. I immediately called the police and contacted the right people,” he said.

After the discovery, the authorities took over the treasure, which is now in a safe with maximum security of the federal services.

“Everything has been taken, don’t take any risks” – police call

The discovery sparked a wave of curiosity, and numerous treasure hunters headed for the construction site in the coming days. Dendermonde police chief Patrick Feys decided to intervene. “This is a fenced building with dangerous pits. Moreover, we have already been there and it is guaranteed that everything has been taken,” the police sent in a public message, urging people not to take unnecessary risks

Bizarre claims from around the world

The news went around the world, being picked up by publications such as The New York Times and Jiji.com from Japan. Along with popularity, dozens of requests to claim the treasure, coming from all over the world, also appeared. Police Chief Patrick Feys confirmed that they had received messages from potential owners or experts everywhere.

Among them was a particularly creative one. “If reincarnation is considered an acceptable form of property inheritance under Belgian law, please let me know what documents are required. I am willing to file a affidavit stating that, as far as I can remember from my previous life, I hid the gold and Then I completely forgot about it for about sixty years,” a claimant wrote, according to the police.

Who is the real owner?

For now, the identity of the owner and the exact circumstances in which the treasure was hidden remain a mystery. The investigation is ongoing, and the police continue to receive information and investigate all possible tracks to determine who is due this fortune discovered in a brick wall in Dendermonde.