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Three workers have been accused of stealing gold worth around 900,000 euros after stumbling upon it during renovation works, a French newspaper has claimed.
They were levelling land at a home in Normandy, north-west of Paris, when they found the gold hidden in a jar, according to regional newspaper Paris Normandie.
The treasure consisted of 16 bars of gold and 600 US 20-dollar gold coins, dating from 1924-27.
The newspaper said instead of handing the find in, the three workers – aged 20, 33 and 44 – stole the hoard and took it to a coin collector.
The trio – as well as the coin collector – will appear on a date to be fixed at a court in Evreux, near Paris.
Cheques deposited into one of the workers’ accounts alerted officials.
When investigators caught up with the trio, they admitted the theft, according to Paris Normandie.
The owner of the home where the improvements were taking place told the newspaper he had earlier joked with the workers, saying: “If you find a treasure, be sure to tell me!”