January 03, 2012

Mystery gold ingots found on Paris train go unclaimed


Gold bars (file photo)  
The gold bars found in the suitcase did not have official stamps on them
No one has yet claimed ownership of a suitcase containing 20kg (44 lbs) of gold bars, found on a train near Paris.
The bomb squad was called in after an employee found a suspect package on board the RER train at Massy-Palaiseau station, south-west of Paris.
The case was found to contain 20 ingots, with a value of around 800,000 euros ($1m; £670,000) should they prove to be genuine gold.
French police are looking for the person who abandoned the blue case.
As the bars do not have official stamps on them, the authorities think they may have been made from melted down gold.

Investigators believe the case's owner probably left it on the train deliberately - fearing a police check - and is thus unlikely to come forward to claim it. They are now examining CCTV from all the stations visited by the train, which had started its journey at Roissy on Thursday.
If the gold remains unclaimed, it is unclear who would benefit.
The case might be considered "treasure," in which case the gold would be shared by the Paris transport operator (RATP) and the conductor who found it.
But if it were classed as a "found object," it would be placed under seal and put in the state's coffers.

Massy-Palaiseau station  
The suitcase was found on an RER B train at Massy-Palaiseau station

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