€20k in shredded euro notes puzzles cops

Since euro notes started appearing in various spots across the southwestern town of Darmstadt at the end of August, cut up and scattered by the wind, police have been stumped as to a possible motive. 

But a study of the notes by the German Federal Bank has proved that they are indeed real, police announced in a statement on Tuesday.

Since the end of August the cut-up bank notes have appeared in 23 locations across the town, and on at least one of the occasions the money was found in the middle of the street.

And the person with a penchant for slicing through his own wealth doesn't spare expenses. The notes found so far have all been worth €50, €100 or €500 and police estimate their total value to lie between €15,000 and €20,000.

Some of the people who have stumbled across the money have tried to exchange it at banks.

But the money men have not been so co-operative. The notes need to first be sent to the Federal Bank to check if they're real – and then only if 50 percent of the note exists will banks exchange it for another one, reports Tagesspiegel.