Story Archive

Cleaning Up

A cleaner at Incheon International Airport in South Korea discovered something in a trash can: seven 1kg (2.2 pound) gold bars, valued at nearly 350 million won (US$325,000), wrapped in newspaper. Police have identified a man as the possible owner of the gold bars as well as the two men who allegedly threw the bars away for fear of being caught by customs. Investigators believe the men bought the gold in Hong Kong, where gold purchases aren’t taxed, and were traveling to Japan through South Korea where they thought it would be easier to bypass custom controls. The investigation is now focused on if the gold is connected to criminal activity. If it isn’t, and the owner doesn’t come forward, the cleaner gets to keep the gold. If the owner steps forward, South Korean law says the man — who hasn’t been publicly identified — could still be awarded between 5 and 20 percent of the gold’s market value, or as much as US$65,000. (MS/Newsweek) ...Someone’s trash really is this man’s treasure.