Gold Bars Worth Rp40.5 Billion Found in Used Tank

AMERICA – A military collector bought a tank. Unexpectedly, he found gold bars.

Nick Mead found five gold bars stored inside the diesel tank of an ex-Iraqi army Type 69 tank in 2017. The estimated value of the gold in the Chinese-made tank, a copy of the Soviet T-55, is US$2.5 million or equivalent to Rp. 40.5 billion.

“When we found the gold bars, we didn’t know what to do. So we called the police,” Mead was quoted as saying by the Greek Reporter, Monday (7/22/2024).

He estimated that the gold was looted by Iraqi soldiers during the invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Its existence was forgotten inside the 36.7-ton tank.

Now, the British farm owner regrets handing over the gold he found in the tank he bought on eBay. “I regret handing it over. I should have gotten a finder’s fee, but I got nothing at all,” the Tanks-a-Lot owner said.

It also believes in the origin gold bar It would eventually come to light. “Gold has fingerprints. They know where it was mined. It must have been stolen from Kuwait. There were a lot of conspiracy theories at the time that we had it. But I didn’t have the money for that,” he said.

Mead said he is not sure what happened to the gold at this time. He still believes authorities are still trying to track down the owner of the gold.

The exact history of the tank is unknown but examination revealed it was built in the early 1980s and had only covered 2,425 kilometers. The vehicle was first purchased by a self-taught mechanic who restored the military tank for seven years, then resold it on eBay.

Throughout history, gold bullion has been found in some unexpected and interesting places, adding to the allure and mystery of this precious metal.