VietNamNet Bridge – Opening an old loudspeaker bought last year, a scrap buyer in HCM City found more than JPY5 million ($50,000) inside. Many people flocked to ask for the money so the woman handed over the money to police.

Scrap collector Huynh Thi Anh Hong.

In a shanty house in an alley on Tran Van Quang Road, Ward 10, Tan Binh District, scrap buyer Huynh Thi Anh Hong, 35, and her husband – Trinh Minh Vuong, 36, were very happy to tell their story.

Hong said last November, she bought an old metal loudspeaker of about 0.5m high for VND100,000 ($5) of an unknown man near her current inn.

Hong left the loudspeaker at her room corner since then because she and her husband did not have time to break it to collect metal.

On March 21, the couple broke the loudspeaker in front of the alley where they lived to collect metals and discovered a wooden box of about 20cm long, 15 cm wide inside. When they opened the box, several banknotes flew out and some people standing nearby picked them up.

"We did not know the letters printed on these banknotes so we thought that they were votive papers," Vuong said.

Rumors about the scrap buyers who found a “treasure” spread very fast. Just hours later, many people flocked to their inn to ask for money "as a souvenir."

In the evening, hundreds of people, including many young strangers surrounded the house, asking the coupe "to share the money."

"They screamed and grabbed for the money, so were very scared. When people said that they are Japanese money of great value, we were more frightened so we handed over the money to the police," Hong said.

That night, until Hong handed over the money to police, the order was restored. The police received 520 Japanese banknotes with face value of JPY10,000, totaling over JPY5 million or about $50,000.

Although the couple handed over the money to police, dozens of people kept flocking to their house to learn about the case.

Vuong said they roamed the streets all day to collect scrap so they left their children in their hometown in Quang Ngai province with their parents. Every day, they earn about VND500,000 ($25) but sometimes they got losses due to wrong cost estimates.

"The biggest amount of money that we have every had is about VND50 million ($2,500),” Hong said.

"While making it clear about the origins of this amount, the money will be deposited into the bank. If the real owner is not found, this amount will be handled according to law and Ms. Hong will also receive part of the money," a police officer of Tan Binh District said.

Hong may receive approximately VND500 million ($25,000) if the owner cannot be found.

Thu Ly