TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Police in Miaoli City on Wednesday identified and returned seven gold bars and a large sum of cash to an elderly man who had left them in a flowerbed at Maolishan Park, per CNA.

Early that morning, parkgoers spotted the valuables lying in plain view and promptly notified authorities. The gold bars weighed about 1.3 kg and, along with several rolls of banknotes, were valued at over NT$5 million (US$161,400).

Officers traced a jewelry store receipt found at the scene and reviewed surveillance footage. Their investigation led them to a 67-year-old local man who had spent the night in the park and forgotten his belongings upon waking.

When police called the man’s mobile phone, it was answered by a Taiwan High Speed Rail staff member. They later learned the man had mistakenly boarded a northbound train while trying to travel to Nantou to “look for his phone.”

With the assistance of THSR staff, the man boarded a southbound train back to Miaoli. Police waited for his arrival and later brought him to the precinct, where his description of the missing cash and gold matched the recovered items.

According to police, the man lives alone, is unmarried, and has no children. He told officers he keeps his savings and valuables with him out of fear they might be stolen from his home.

Chang Kuo-tung (張國棟), director of the Miaoli County Government’s Social Affairs Department, said social workers will conduct a follow-up visit to ensure the man’s well-being. They will also encourage him to store his valuables in a bank safe deposit box.