In the seaside resort of Torre Lapillo in Italy, a 57-year-old man mistakenly discarded a box containing 20 gold bars worth approximately €120,000. The unusual incident was reported by RMF24.

According to media reports, the man had spent years investing his savings in gold, storing the bars in a simple metal container. While cleaning his home, he unintentionally placed the box among regular trash, and it was taken away with other household waste. He realized the loss only the following day and immediately contacted the police.

Security camera footage confirmed that the container had indeed been thrown into a garbage bin. By then, however, the waste had already been transported to a landfill in the town of Ugento.

A large-scale search operation was launched at the site. Municipal workers used heavy machinery and sifted through tons of rubbish. Fortunately, the box was eventually recovered, with all 20 gold bars still inside.

This is not the first case of valuable items resurfacing at a landfill. In 2021, five expensive paintings disappeared from a gallery in Edmonton, USA, including a $50,000 work by Jean-Paul Riopelle. The artworks remained missing for four years. In 2025, an unknown individual attempted to auction one of the paintings in New York, claiming he had found it at a dump and kept it in his closet. After reviewing a police report, he voluntarily handed the piece over to the insurance company.