The town of Quarnbek in northern Germany is demanding reimbursement to the tune of 1,263 euros for extracting the vehicle of two “Israeli agents,” ostensibly members of the Mossad, who got stuck in the mud.

A report about this strange incident, which took place in mid-December 2015, was broadcast Saturday on Germany's NDR television station.

Open gallery view Bill for 1,263 euro from German town of Quarnbek for pulling 'Mossad agents' out of the mud Credit: Schleswig-Holstein Magazin / ndr.de

According to the report, the story ostensibly involved two armed members of the Israeli espionage agency – thought to have been dispatched to monitor the transfer of a German submarine from the North Sea port of Kiel to Israel – who got stuck in the mud in their Ford Focus on the banks of the Kiel Canal.

An elderly local resident became suspicious when she saw a vehicle entering a forbidden area, which bore a sign to that effect. When she asked for an explanation, the two people in the car told her they had come to check out the area prior to a sailing competition, according to the TV report.

Local police and firefighters were summoned to the site, as was a local farmer, who arrived with his tractor and extricated the Ford from the mire. The two Israelis showed the local authorities diplomatic documents allowing them to carry weapons.

Now the Germans have submitted a bill for their troubles to the Israeli Embassy in Berlin.

“The Mossad agents thanked the Germans and shook their hands, before continuing on their way,” according to a report by the local police, who did not open an investigation.

For his part, however, the local mayor, Klaus Langer, is still angry. “Naturally, residents wanted to know how these two young men were allowed to travel there armed,” he said.

So far he hasn’t received any answers from the authorities.