No finders keepers in Berlin as small fortune turned in to police

A briefcase filled with 3,500 euros ($4,097) along with 22 gold bars weighing a total of 1kg and worth 30,000 euros was discovered beneath a tree by an honest finder who promptly turned over the small fortune to Berlin police, authorities said on Friday.

The cash and gold was found just outside a bank in the Neukoelln district, one of Berlin's poorest areas. The fortunate owner later told police he had put the briefcase down to lock up his bicycle but then forgot about it.

"Amazing what you can find under a tree in Neukoelln," the police wrote on Twitter. "An honest finder turned in the briefcase with 3,500 euros and gold to our station."

Berlin police later added: "The owner has been found. He said he put his things down while locking up his bicycle and then simply forgot about them."