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Taking out the trash rarely feels like a moment that could cost six figures, yet that’s exactly what happened to a 57-year-old man in southern Italy who unknowingly discarded 20 gold bars worth about $140,000, and once he realized what he’d done, the search moved from his kitchen to a public bin and then to a landfill.
Accidental Disposal of 20 Gold Bars
What began as an ordinary trash run turned into a costly mistake when a 57-year-old man in southern Italy unknowingly discarded a tin containing 20 gold bars, and only the next day did he realize the box he had thrown into a public bin held roughly 120,000 euros in savings.
Estimated Value of 120,000 Euros
Police later clarified that the discarded gold amounted to roughly 120,000 euros, or about $142,000, which places the mistake well beyond a routine household loss and instead into the range of long-term personal savings that had been accumulated and stored over years.
Storage of Gold in a Tin Box
Over the years, the man had purchased gold bars and kept them inside a simple tin box at home, and because the container looked ordinary, it blended in with everyday household items, which is how it ultimately ended up mixed with trash and carried outside without notice.
Public Bin in Torre Lapillo
As routine waste collection continued, the tin box ended up inside a public bin in Torre Lapillo, a beachside hamlet in the Puglia region, and because the disposal happened in a shared receptacle rather than a private trash can, the contents quickly entered the municipal system.
Report Filed at Porto Cesareo Carabinieri Station
Once he understood what had happened, the man went to the Carabinieri station in Porto Cesareo to report the loss, and as officers listened to his account, they reviewed security footage to confirm where and when the tin had been discarded.
Security Footage Verification
As officers assessed the report, they turned to surveillance footage from the area, and the recordings confirmed that the tin had been placed inside a public bin, which gave investigators a clear path to trace the trash collection route.
Landfill Search and Recovery Effort
With the collection route identified, officers traced the waste to a local landfill, and after hours of careful sifting through debris, they located the damaged tin box, which still contained all 20 gold bars, before returning them to the owner.
Similar Gold Disposal Case in Dubai
A comparable incident surfaced in Dubai, where a visiting Indian national misplaced four 22K gold coins and a 50-gram 24K gold bar after they were thrown away unintentionally, and police working with a garbage collector later recovered the items and returned them.
Returned to Owner After Hours of Sifting
What began as a routine trip to the trash ended with officers combing through landfill debris for hours, so when they finally located the damaged tin and confirmed all 20 bars remained inside, they handed the gold back to its owner, which closed a costly mistake.