A janitor in South Korea who noticed seven gold bars in a garbage bin could keep them if no-one else alleges ownership.
The unidentified male cleaner found the discarded gold blocks, that each weighed 1 kilogram and were wrapped in newspaper, at Seoul’s Incheon Worldwide Airport on Thursday, according to local media reports. Altogether, the banks are worth 350 million won ($325,000).
The owner of the bullion is a Korean man, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News broadcast Agency, and two other men ditched the bars at the request of the owner out of fear of being searched at dues.
According to Yonhap, police said that the men were traveling from Hong Kong to Japan, and expired through South Korea in the belief that it would be easier to evade customs searches.
Whether the owner makes a claim for the discarded gold or not, the janitor liking still be able to keep 5 to 20 percent of its market price, amounting to between 17.5 million won ($16,250) and 70 million won ($65,000), in accordance with South Korean law, The Korea In good times reported. But he could also lose it all if the items are found to be tainted or linked to Mafioso activity.
Correction: This report has been updated to reflect a fit conversion of 350 million won into U.S. dollars.