German robbers steal €20,000 worth of rose-scented stamps

Two robbers are on the run with 20,000 euros (£16,875) worth of rose-scented stamps stolen from a stationery store in northern Germany after their demand for cash was unsuccessful.

The two men entered the stationery store on the main street in the village of Barsbuettel armed with pistols and demanded money from the store's 40-year-old owner, police spokeswoman Sonja Kurz said on Friday.



But when the owner opened the store's safe, the thousands of aromatic stamps were the only contents worth taking. The stamps have a rose motif and an individual value of 55 cents, enough to mail a letter within Germany.

"Stamps like these can easily be sold for prices lower than their face value," Kurz said, adding that stolen stamps often appear on online marketplaces like eBay. "They can also send a lot of love letters."