Gold bars worth 200,000 Swiss francs found abandoned on Swiss train

In October 2019, a railway employee for Südostbahn discovered a white plastic bag left behind on a train traveling from St. Gallen to Lucerne in central Switzerland. The bag contained 120 gold bars weighing approximately 3.7 kg, each featuring a logo and serial number.

Authorities in Lucerne launched an investigation to identify the owner. Despite widespread verification efforts and a public notice published in the state gazette, no one provided sufficient evidence of ownership. Investigators also examined whether the gold was linked to criminal activity, such as theft or robbery, but found no evidence of a crime after nearly four years.

The bag was marked with the German phrase ‘IKRK Wertsendung’, indicating it was a valuable shipment intended for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This marking eventually served as the basis for authorities to determine the fate of the gold, which was valued at approximately 200,000 Swiss francs by 2023.