'Finders Keepers': Janitor Finds $325K Worth Of Gold In Trash Bin, But Can He Keep It?
(Kitco News) - Korean janitor hit a jackpot as he uncovered seven gold bars while cleaning out a garbage bin in South Korea’s biggest international airport.
An unnamed male cleaner found $325,000 worth of gold bars on Thursday in Incheon International Airport located in South Korea’s capital Seoul.
Each gold bar weighed 1 kilogram and was wrapped in a newspaper.
After looking into the matter, local police concluded that the gold bars were dumped by two men transporting them from Hong Kong to Japan in an effort not to get caught by customs, The Korea Times reported.
The best part of janitor’s discovery is that the man might be allowed to keep the gold bars under Korea’s “Finders Keepers” law.
But, this will only be possible if the real owners do not come forward within the next six months and further investigation does not reveal any criminal activity.
A New Kind Of #Gold #Mine: Discarded SIM Cards Show Potential Of E-Waste #Recycling | https://t.co/WmbbyisuB6 pic.twitter.com/edjCufvACv
— Kitco NEWS (@KitcoNewsNOW) April 18, 2018The janitor will not even be left penniless if the owners do choose to make a claim, as under Korea’s “Lost Articles Act” anyone who finds lost items can keep 5-20% of their market value, which will amount to a maximum of $65,000.
But, everything might not be as simple, with a report from BBC quoting airport authorities as saying that the cleaner might not get any reward after all because he was “working as airport staff and it is a part of the cleaner's job to find lost things.”
If this turns out to be the case, it is unclear who will get to keep the gold bars if they turn out to be unclaimed.
By Anna GolubovaFor Kitco News
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agolubova@kitco.comwww.kitco.com Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.