Secret World War II treasure worth billions ‘found in Philippines cave’… but massive stash of gold bars and rubies has been booby-trapped with BOMBS
The fabled Yamashita Treasure was reportedly stolen and dumped by Japanese soldiers towards the end of the brutal conflict
ASTONISHING footage shows divers uncovering gold bars which were supposedly hidden by Japanese soldiers during World War II.
The viral Reddit clip claims to show the long-lost Yamashita Treasure – which includes gold and gemstones worth billions of pounds.
The video also claims the fortune is booby-trapped with bombs.
The loot was reportedly stashed in underground tunnels and caves by fighters under the command of General Tomoyuki Yamashita before Japan surrendered to the US in 1945.
Yamashita’s unit allegedly stole the booty before stashing it.
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The fortune has become a Filipino legend yet many experts claim there is no evidence the treasure ever existed.
In the newly released video, explorers are shown wiping away mud from bars revealing their shiny gold surface.
After it was shared on social media site Reddit the footage has been viewed nearly 200,000 times.
But despite the excitement around the clip, anthropologist Piers Kelly insists that Yamashita Treasure is a myth conjured by locals to boost morale.
What is the Yamashita treasure?
Yamashita treasure is the gold allegedly stolen in south east Asia by the Japanese army during WWII.
It is named after the Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita.
The loot including gold bars and gemstones, worth billions of pounds, was supposedly plundered under the command of Yamashita in 1944.
In 1988, Filipino treasure hunter Rogelio Roxas filed a lawsuit against the-then president Ferdinand Marcos and his wife for theft and human right violations.
Roxas insisted that when his search team successfully retrieved much of the gold, president Marcos ordered him to be beaten up and arrested.
Marcos allegedly stole the gold from Roxas.
In 1992, Marcos’ wife Imelda Macros admitted most of her husband’s wealth could be attributed to gold he found after WWII, with the Yamashita accounting for the bulk of it.
Speaking with the , he said: “Tales of buried gold, silver and generic treasure are recounted throughout the Philippines.
“By tracing variations of this story, we were able to show their popularity coincides with periods of war and crisis.
“The promise of future wealth may have served to boost local morale.”
The Japanese occupation of the Philippines
During World War II, the Japanese invaded the Philippines on December 8, 1941.
Japan occupied the south east Asian country over three years, until it surrendered in 1945.
The invasion came only days after Japan’s attack on US naval base Pearl Harbour.
Anticipation of an attack by Japan saw the return of retired US General Douglas MacArthur to mobilise Philippine defences.
Between 500,000 to 1million Filipinos are feared to have died in the occupation.
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