Safe stolen from home in Belgium found 14 years later in Netherlands
A safe stolen from a home in Belgium 14 years ago was discovered Saturday in a waterway between Middelburg and Oost-Souburg and has been returned to its owner. The finders, magnet fishermen Peter Das and Leigh Webber, acted quickly to involve authorities, police reports.
Das and Webber used a crane to lift the safe from the water. Inside were coins, passports, bank cards, photo cameras, and stamp collections. Das, from Vlissingen, took the items home to dry and clean. “Sunday the police were at my place,” he told PZC. Using the passports and bank cards, he contacted Belgian authorities in Gent.
Police in Zeeland/West-Brabant confirmed the safe was stolen in 2012. While the location of the theft has not been disclosed, the documents identify the owner as a Belgian woman.
A police spokesperson emphasized the importance of the finders’ prompt reporting. “Sometimes finders handle items and information themselves. But now we were able to resolve it together,” the spokesperson said.
Das said some items, including wedding rings, were missing. “The jewelry boxes we found were empty. The combination lock was already open. The valuable items were probably removed earlier. At least, we did not take them,” he said.
Das added, “Once items are out of the water, decomposition accelerates. For the Belgian lady, this is dramatic. Now she has it back. The story is complete.”
