A suspected thief has been stopped by police in the German port city of Bremerhaven while transporting 84 kilograms of pickled chillies in a wheelbarrow.
Officers spotted the 23-year-old suspect with the wheelbarrow full of the spicy cargo overnight on a pavement in Bremerhaven, police said on Wednesday.
The chillies were packed into several canisters, but the man was unable to provide a "plausible explanation" about where he had obtained the spicy product and where he was going with it, according to police.
Police have launched a criminal investigation on suspicion of theft and are now searching for the possible owner of the pilfered chillies.
So far, it remains entirely unclear where the man could have acquired such large quantities of chillies, a police spokeswoman told dpa.
The police are also appealing for possible witnesses to come forward.
The chillies, along with other items the suspect had with him, including a gym bag, perfume and electronics, were seized by police.