A HAUL of 100 gold bars illegally pulled from a World War II Japanese ship destroyed off the Solomon Islands has been seized by local police.

The Solomon Business Magazine reports the treasure has now been secured in the Central Bank of Solomon Islands.

Police reportedly acted upon a tip-off last Friday when they intercepted a shipment arriving at the capital of Honiara from Ontong Java.

Few details of the find have yet been released by authorities. The bank has confirmed the seized cargo is in its vaults, but has declined to detail what it is.

The Solomon Buisiness Magazine reports police sources as telling it that there were at least 100 bars of what was believed to be gold, as well as ingots of other metals such as silver.

Camera Icon The wreck of the Hirokawa Maru, just one of dozens of cargo and war ships sunk near Honiara during World War II. Credit: Supplied, Sarah Nicholson

SPOILS OF WAR

Former Solomons MP and freelance journalist Alfred Sasako has told Radio New Zealand that he believes the gold to have been recovered from the wreck of a Japanese transport ship.

The Solomon Islands was the centre of intense fighting during World War II, with numerous clashes between ships and attacks by aircraft. Dozens of ships were sunk.

The treasure was believed to come from a cargo ship that had long been the subject of a search, Sasako said.

Its sinking had been witnessed by a man in Isabel province during the war. He had passed this knowledge down to his son.

Despite pressure from government authorities, the son never revealed its position.

Camera Icon The Royal Australian Navy heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra was surprised and sunk in a battle off Savo Island, near Honiara, during World War II. Credit: News Corp Australia

IRONBOTTOM SOUND

The waters off the coast of the capital Honiara was given the name “Ironbottom Sound” due to the large number of allied and Japanese warships sunk there in 1942-43.

Among the wrecks are the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra, which — along with the US force it was serving with — was surprised at night by attacking Japanese warships and quickly turned into a floating wreck.

The Australian cruiser was abandoned and later scuttled. Two US cruisers were also sunk, and one cruiser and two destroyers heavily damaged.

This was just the first of several expensive battles for both sides.

Many Japanese cargo ships and fast warships were sunk as they struggled to resupply — and evacuate — its besieged forces before the region was recaptured by the allies.