According to recent reports, treasure hunters have discovered large amounts of gold in the Philippines, believed to have been hidden by Japanese soldiers during WWII.
The discovery could mark the end of decades of speculation over the so-called Yamashita Treasure – gold bars and gemstones worth tens of billions of dollars allegedly looted by the Japanese Imperial Army.
Rumour has it that the looted valuables were stashed in more than 145 underground tunnels and caves in the Philippines before the surrender in 1945.
The alleged war loot stolen by Japanese soldiers was under the command of General Tomoyuki Yamashita, who was in charge of the country’s forces in 1944.
Despite some experts claiming there are no evidence of the fabled gold and priceless jewels, a new footage has claimed it has found the long lost treasure.
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New footage has claimed treasure hunters have found the masses of gold reportedly hidden in the Philippines by Japanese soldiers during WWII
The divers were seen removing mud from the blocks of gold that were apparently booby trapped with explosives
The video shows a number of men scouring a water-filled cave apparently in the Philippines where they uncover huge quantities of gold bars.
The divers were seen removing mud from the blocks of gold that were supposedly found booby trapped with explosives.
The footage has been viewed nearly 160,000 times since it was shared on YouTube on Monday – and is doing the rounds on Reddit.
But despite claims, anthropologist Piers Kelly dismissed the myths surrounding the looted valuables, saying the theories were just rumours.
‘Tales of buried gold, sliver and generic treasure are recounted throughout the Philippines,’ he told International Business Times.
‘By tracing variations of this story, we were able to show that their popularity coincides with periods of war and crisis.
‘The promise of future wealth may have served to boost local morale.’
