A Greek-Australian treasure hunter Vangelis Dimas, has begun a search in the mountains of central Greece, near the village of Vassiliki, 352km northwest of Athens, for the treasure of a notorious 19th century Ottoman pasha believed to be enough to plug the country’s vast debts, state TV says.
“The sensors show me that there is great treasure hidden below,” Dimas told state television NET as a crew manned a heavy drill on a small hill a few metres from the local road.
According to Dimas, the treasure could be worth millions of dollars, NET said.
“So far we have drilled to a depth of 23 metres but the rock is very tough,” he said. “If at 30 metres we have a breakthrough it will mean that there is an underground chamber below.”
A drill has been brought from Athens for the purpose and cameras will be inserted to help locate the chamber believed to hold the treasure.
Ali Pasha was killed in 1822 in an unsuccessful revolt against the Ottoman Sultan but his treasure was never found.
Prior attempts to locate it near his stronghold in the northwestern city of Ioannina have been fruitless.
The village of Vassiliki is named after the pasha’s Greek-born wife who hailed from the area, and lies on his old tax caravan route to Ioannina.
The Greek state is entitled to 50 per cent of the finds and the municipality will also be given a percentage, officials say.
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