Riptide

The new in-thing for the thieving crowd is... Tide detergent?!

Law enforcement officials across the US have been left baffled by a crime wave targeting an unlikely item -- Tide laundry detergent.

Tide has become a form of currency on the streets. The retail price is steadily high -- roughly $10 to $20 a bottle -- and it's a staple in households across socioeconomic classes.

Most thieves load carts with dozens of bottles, then dash out the door. Many have getaway cars waiting outside.

WTF?

Tide can go for $5 to $10 a bottle on the black market, authorities say, and some thieves even resell it to stores.

"We sent in an informant to buy drugs," Sprague said. "The dealer said, 'I don't have drugs, but I could sell you 15 bottles of Tide.'"

Okay, okay... I get it: this a Python skit. Joke's on me, right?