Police in Italy have recovered $142,000 worth of gold after a man nearly lost it by accidentally throwing away the tin he was using to hold the valuable metal.
Authorities confirmed on February 12 that a 57-year-old man in southern Italy mistakenly discarded a tin containing 20 gold bars, valued at around 120,000 euros, or roughly $142,000.
The unnamed man had purchased the gold over several years and stored the bars inside a small tin box.
Police locate gold after landfill search
According to Reuters, the man took out his trash without realizing the tin was inside and placed it in a public bin in Torre Lapillo, a beachside hamlet of Porto Cesareo in the Puglia region.
After discovering the mistake the following day, he reported it to officers at the Carabinieri police station in Porto Cesare. Police reviewed security footage to verify his account, which showed the tin being placed in the public bin at the resort.
Authorities determined that the trash had already been transported to a local landfill.
“After several hours of careful sifting, the officers managed to find the box which, though damaged, still contained all the gold bars … which were then returned to their rightful owner,” police said in a statement, per Reuters.
Earlier in February, a woman in Dubai called the police to help her retrieve $13,000 worth of gold after accidentally throwing it away.
