Police in southern Italy said today they recovered a box of gold bars from a waste sorting facility after a man mistakenly threw it out with his household trash. Police said in a statement that the man entered a Carabinieri station in Porto Cesareio near the city of Lecce to report the disappearance of a box containing 20 gold bars worth about 120,000 euros ($142,000). Investigators quickly tracked the man's movements, whose name was not disclosed, and reviewed surveillance camera footage. The footage showed the man tossed the box into a public trash bin in a nearby seaside resort, and further investigation revealed the box was taken to the local waste disposal facility. The statement said, 'After several hours of meticulous sorting, the force was able to locate the box, which had sustained damage, but it still contained all the gold bars, which were then returned to their rightful owner'.
