It’s a real bonanza for the Red Cross. A mysterious treasure of 120 gold bars, discovered in a Swiss train and which the police have searched in vain for the owner for nearly four years, will be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross, authorities said on Friday.
In October 2019, a ticket inspector found a plastic bag on a train from St. Gallen in the east to Lucerne in central Switzerland. In the bag, a white package with the inscription “sending valuables ICRC” and in the package… 3.732 kilograms of gold in the form of 120 small ingots, indicates the parquet floor of Lucerne in a press release.
A value of around 210,000 euros
Gold with a purity of 99.99% was trading Thursday around 56,000 euros per kilo. The “treasure”, which has not yet been handed over to the ICRC, is therefore worth around 210,000 euros. After a lengthy investigation, authorities were unable to locate the owner or link the bullion to any crime. “As 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 discovery will be handed over to the ICRC, ”explains the prosecution in a press release.
Questioned by AFP, the International Committee of the Red Cross, first said it was reassured about the origin of the gold after the extensive investigation by the police, which allows it to accept the gift . “We express our gratitude for this generous contribution to the ICRC,” reacted a spokesperson in an email, hastening to specify that the organization favors more traditional ways to receive donations.
A timely treasure
“The donation received will make a significant contribution to financing the ICRC’s global operations, dedicated to protecting and assisting the most vulnerable people affected by war and violence,” the spokesperson said. Gold will be sold, he added. This donation is timely for the ICRC, which is in a very difficult financial situation due to rising costs linked to inflation and a drop in the generosity of donors, in particular due to the very large funds devoted to helping Ukraine. .
Faced with the difficulties, the ICRC adopted a drastic plan to reduce costs by several hundred million Swiss francs, in particular by significantly reducing its staff. Of the 350 sites that the organization has around the world, 26 will be closed and others will see their resources considerably reduced.