“In the first year, I pursued this activity just for fun, but after discovering various valuable metallic items, I began to take it more seriously,” Heidizaini told Bernama.

His wife Siti Norzehan Mohd Yatim played a part in convincing him to pursue it more seriously as she had watched videos of “metal hunters” in other countries earning lucrative returns.

“They were able to find items such as gold ornaments, and so she persuaded me to pursue this activity to supplement our income as what I earned as a handyman was only enough to get by,” the 46-year-old said.

He then saved up some money and bought a second-hand metal detector costing RM2,000. With his wife in tow, Heidizaini went full-time into metal detecting in 2017.

Heidizaini said he and Siti Norzehan, who live in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, used to watch YouTube videos to learn how to use the metal detector correctly from like-minded enthusiasts. The couple also joined metal-detecting communities on social media to improve their skills.

Initially, they carried out their activity on the beaches around Selangor, such as Morib and Bagan Lalang. Beaches are popular spots for treasure hunters as many beachgoers tend to lose jewellery, coins, and other metallic items.

“Eventually, we found that the income from selling the items we discovered exceeded my earnings as a handyman. So, we started going to other states like Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak to hunt,” he said.

The couple, who have four children, also frequently uploaded videos of their activities on social media, attracting others to get involved in the field.

“Within four years, we managed to establish our own metal-detecting group, which now has over 1,000 members. With a bigger team, we can cover larger areas, increasing the chances of finding valuable items.

“Besides gold ornaments, we’ve also unearthed items such as old coins, which we sell to collectors,” Heidizaini said, adding that while they work as a team, each item discovered belongs to the person who finds it.

Hunting overseas

Heidizaini and his team eventually decided to explore opportunities abroad, visiting places like Krabi in Thailand and Bali, Indonesia.

However, he noted that metal hunting in foreign countries is not as straightforward as in Malaysia: many of the beaches have conditions, including obtaining permission from the local authorities.

“These areas are popular tourist destinations and the authorities want to ensure that such activities do not disrupt visitors’ comfort,” Heidizaini explained.

“For instance, in Krabi, we were only allowed to search at night, but our efforts paid off handsomely. During our five days there, we found numerous foreign coins and, notably, gold ornaments, which we sold.

“The money we made was enough to cover our expenses, including flight tickets.”

Siti Norzehan, 46, added that their children also sometimes join them on their expeditions. “For them, it is an educational outing. For example, when we find coins from the British era, we share the history of British colonisation in our country with our kids.”

Having done this for seven years now, Heidizaini and Siti Norzehan consider themselves experts in the field. Not only are they skilled in using metal detectors, they can also identify the type of metal detected by the different sounds emitted by the equipment.

“The detector makes distinct noises, so we usually know what’s buried – whether it’s a coin, a piece of jewellery or something else,” Heidizaini said.

About five years ago, the couple was pleasantly surprised when they were contacted by Minelab Metal Detectors, a manufacturer based in Australia that had been following their activities on social media.

“They invited us to be their sole distributor in Malaysia and Asia,” Heidizaini said, adding the company helped them to open a store in 2019 in Sungai Buloh by providing capital and other support.

“Initially, our shop focused on supplying metal detectors but, two years ago, we expanded our offerings, turning it into a one-stop centre for metal detecting, including suitable clothing.”

Since their store is Minelab Metal Detectors’ only authorised distributor in Asia, their customers include those from neighbouring countries.

“As a result, there are times when we have to keep the store open until 2am. We don’t just sell equipment but also share our knowledge, especially with those who are just getting started,” Siti Norzehan said, adding that some of their customers are as young as 10 years old.

Learn more about Minelab Metal Detectors Malaysia on Facebook.