Nazi ‘gold train’ treasure hunters to scan site of alleged finding

This is the now famous image disclosed by Piotr Koper and Andreas Liechter, who claim correspond to a Nazi gold train. (Image by Gazeta Wroclawska newspaper via Twitter)

The search for a long-lost Nazi train, carrying what is believed to be billions of dollars in gold, resumed Tuesday after the two men who announced they had located the long-lost wagons in August began detailed tests in the area.

German Andreas Richter and Polish Piotr Koper had to wait until the Polish military declared the site free of explosives, but are now ready to spend three days of intensive search.

The treasure-hunting pair have already produced a rudimentary image of the train using ground-penetrating radar.

Local officials have suggested that because of the annual winter snowfall in Poland, digging may not start until the spring.

But Arkadiusz Grudzień, a spokesman for the local magistrate in Walbrzych, told CNBC that they were focusing only on non-invasive testing at the moment. “It is too early to talk about extracting anything,” he added.

It is believed the Nazis hid a train fill containing up to 300 tons of gold, as well as diamonds and other precious gems from the Soviet Army. (Image screenshot via You Tube)

The search teams will be able to use different measuring equipment and detectors, but are not allowed to touch the ground, Grudzień added.

According to tales that have circulated since WWII, the Nazis hid a train containing up to 300 tons of gold, as well as diamonds and firearms.

The Polish government has done little to dampen speculation, as authorities said in September they were “99% certain” the train actually exists.

A number of trains are believed to have been used by the Nazis in the 1940s to transport goods stolen from people in Eastern Europe back to Berlin. While some might have made it to the German capital, others are said to have been left behind by Soviet troops, as they advanced in 1945.

Police officers continue to patrol the wooded, shrub-covered site to keep swarms of treasure hunters from digging.