The burglar, according to spokesman of Hail police Col. Abdul Aziz Al-Zinaidi, busted into a small house in a farm in the village of Takhaiel near the northern city of Hail on Sunday night looking for petty things to steal, but was surprised to find more than a million riyals in cash lying safely in a wooden box.

He said the owner of the house, who was on a visit to the Qasim region, was informed by relatives that the door to his farm house was broken.

"When he came back he found that his money was gone," the spokesman said. The 79-year-old farmer said he kept the money in a box and left about two weeks ago to go to Qasim.

The police said the fingerprints were lifted from the box and the search was continuing for the thief.