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Manila Bulletin devider World devider Red Cross receives gold bars left on Swiss train

Red Cross receives gold bars left on Swiss train

Published Aug 25, 2023 02:04 pm

GENEVA, Switzerland - A mysterious stash of 120 gold bars found on a Swiss train nearly four years ago has been given to the Red Cross, prosecutors said Friday, after failing to trace the owner.
 

In October 2019, a train attendant found a package on a train travelling from St Gallen to Lucerne, the Lucerne regional public prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Among the labelling on the package were the words "ICRC valuables", in an apparent reference to the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross.

"The package contained 120 gold bars (total gold weight: 3.732 kilogrammes), which were labelled with a logo and serial numbers," the statement said.

It did not say how much the stash was worth, but gold bars are currently being sold for close to $60,000 per kilo.

"Despite extensive investigations, the owner of the gold bars could not be determined," the statement said.

"Thus, neither the owner of the gold nor a connection with a possible property crime could be determined," with prosecutors closing the case.

"Since the gold was in a package addressed to the ICRC, it can be assumed that the unknown owner wanted to hand over the gold to this organisation. Thus, the find is handed over to the ICRC."

The ICRC did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.
 

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