A British treasure hunter who salvaged £32 million of silver bars from a torpedoed WWII wreck could now lose it all in a court battle with the South African government.
Ross Hyett, 67, successfully led a treasure-hunting mission to recover 2,364 South Africa-owned bars of silver from the wreck of the SS Tilawa off the coast of the Maldives.
The ship was a Tyneside-built 10,000-ton steamer that had been taking mostly Indian nationals to South Africa in 1942 with 954 people onboard. Its cargo included 2,391 bars of silver, purchased by the South African government and destined to be turned into coins in their national mint.
British treasure hunter faces losing £32m silver hoard to South African Government
More than 2,000 bars of silver were recovered from the wreck of the SS Tilawa, which was downed by a Japanese torpedo in 1942
26 January 2021 • 3:00pm
SS Tilawa, a merchant steamer sunk in 1942 by Japanese torpedoes whilst carrying a £32m cargo of silver bars.
Credit: Champion News
A British treasure hunter who salvaged £32 million worth of silver from a World War Two wreck faces losing the fortune to South Africa, after a judge allowed his own ruling to be appealed.
Ross Hyett, 67, a British champion racing driver and financier, organised the secret operation to recover more than 2,000 bars of silver from the wreck of the SS Tilawa, a Tyneside-built 10,000-ton steamer, which was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of the Maldives in November 1942.
Un cazador de tesoros pelea con el gobierno de Sudáfrica por un botín de 60 toneladas de plata valuado en USD 43 millones rescatado del fondo del mar infobae.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from infobae.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.