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The coveted herb: wild garlic in a forest in Lower Saxony (symbol image)
Photo: Julian Stratenschulte / picture alliance / dpa
Nine suspected wild garlic thieves between the ages of 17 and 38 were caught red-handed by the police in the Rötha Palace Park south of Leipzig.
They are said to have dug up a large number of wild garlic plants on Sunday afternoon and probably wanted to steal them.
The police announced this on Monday.
The young plants together weighed around 140 kilos.
According to the information, they were packed and partly hidden ready for transport.
The men are said to have been observed doing what they did on Sunday afternoon and were disturbed by the officers in their work.
Police officers established the identity of the alleged thieves and then let them go.
In order to keep the damage caused to the environment as low as possible, the plants should be returned to the community as soon as possible, it said.
Wild garlic is a well-known vegetable, spice and medicinal plant that is related to chives, onions and garlic.
has/dpa