A € 100 million treasure off the coast of Iceland

It is the object of all the covetousness : a Nazi treasure swallowed up since the beginning of the Second World War off the coast of Iceland captures the attention of treasure hunters. However, the search for this treasure requires accreditation that is not accessible to the first comer.

The wreck of the S. S. Minden lies 200 km southwest of the coast of Iceland and the British Advanced Marine Services (AMS) team had until Tuesday, July 10, 22: 00 sharp to make sure. Since 72 hours, the specialized company has therefore set out to search for the precious treasure composed of several hundred gold ingots, for an estimated amount of more than 100 million euros.

This amazing adventure film-worthy story began more than a year ago, precisely on April 9, 2017, when the research vessel Seabed Constructor was caught by the Icelandic Coast Guard mooring off their coast without permission. This vessel belonged to the private company AMS, which did not have the necessary authorisation at that time.

A team was already attempting to pierce the hull of the S. S. Minden, which rests at a depth of 3,600 metres. Sunk on September 24, 1939, the Nazi cargo ship is reputed to contain an important treasure, that is in any case what would have motivated its sabotage three weeks after the Declaration of war between England and France on one side, and Germany on the other.

Boarded by the Calypso, an English ship, the crew of the SS Minden had preferred to scuttle-in accordance with the orders of the German General Staff – rather than let the British get their hands on what was stored in its bunkers. In any case, this is what the newspaper Iceland Monitor reports in an article inspired by a book by a former professor at University College London, Michel Keith. Read this trip advisor Iceland, and find out what to do in Iceland.

In April 2017, the crew of the Seabed Constructor was interrogated by the Icelandic authorities and revealed that they were looking for a safe in the mailroom of the wreck of the SS Minden. This money would consist of four tons of gold brought back from South America to finance the beginning of the world conflict.

The case is made worse when the crew of the Seabed Constructor claims to be the “inventor” of the treasure (as it is known), while the Icelandic authorities forbid them to continue the search without a regulatory authorisation. The German company Hapag-Lloyd meanwhile had wind of the affair and in turn launched itself in the race seizing the justice. As an anecdote, this company was created by “recycling” the Company Norddeutscher Lloyd who was none other than the owner of the SS Minden. The court finally ruled in favour of the English company, which thus obtained a permit for 72 hours of searching. The Icelandic government retains control over everything that the crew will bring to the surface.

Unfortunately, the crew of the Seabed Constructor was unlucky and encountered poor weather conditions that hampered the search and forced the researchers to return to the Seabed Worker. For the moment, no information has been leaked about a possible discovery but other authorizations will be issued before the end of 2018, so business to follow..