A mountain bike, a Sat-Nav and a pair of shoes were among the 200 lost items taken to the police by those who found them during the second half of last year – leaving one wonder how the owners managed to make it to their destination that day.

Other items included a drone, an outboard motor, a Nintendo game and a helmet, according to figures obtained from the police.

The list, also published in the Government Gazette, showed there were 74 objects handed to the police in Gozo and 123 items given to the Malta police between July and December 2019.

The items included rosary beads, rings, necklaces, spectacles, sunglasses, watches, jewellery and even a multipurpose knife, as well as several items of technology such as tablets, a power bank and digital cameras.

The bulk of the lost items, though, were mobile phones and wallets containing small amounts of money, a police spokesman said.

The police, he added, had no way of knowing how much money there had been in the wallets before they were handed over.

One woman commenting on one of the several local ‘lost and found’ Facebook pages said she had found her lost wallet without the money in it – but was glad to have her ID card and credit cards back.

You can keep a treasure – but must return a mobile

According Malta’s Civil Code, anyone who finds something is obliged to return it without delay to the original owner or deliver it to the police.

Anything the police receive is published in the Government Gazette and held for six months. While in police custody, the items are sealed and kept in a designated secure room at the police headquarters.

If a lost item is not claimed within six months, ownership falls to the finder and, failing that, to the state.

Interestingly, the law does not apply to objects found in the sea. And even more interesting is the fact that the law makes an exception for treasure troves.

What’s a treasure trove?

Well, the law defines it as “any movable thing, even though not precious, which is concealed or buried, and of which no one can prove himself to be the owner.” 

Bottom line is – if you find a treasure, you can keep it.

Have you ever found treasure in Malta or Gozo? Share your story by contacting claudia.calleja@timesofmalta.com.