A REAL-LIFE international treasure hunt organised by a mysterious Twitter benefactor led one lucky trio to a small wood just outside Hay-On-Wye where they found a jar containing £1,000 in rolled up banknotes.

“It was mental,” said Jamie Machin, 21. “My boss had an idea where it might be at Mousecastle Wood so we went up after work.

“After hours looking round we stumbled on it as we were heading home – this gold-topped jar full of cash.”

Through his anonymous account - named @HiddenCash Californian - real estate millionaire Jason Buzi has sent thousands scavenging for money drops around the world.

Cryptic clues released on Twitter give treasure hunters increasingly specific directions to the stashed cash – hidden in anything from envelopes to sweet containers.

And last month the Hidden Cash party crossed the Atlantic, with mixed results.

In Kensington Gardens, Londoners found £20 notes rolled up and stuffed into holes in the park’s trees.

And Mr Buzi may be facing a 2,000 Euro compensation claim after a similar stunt in Malaga saw over-excited Spaniards tear a park apart looking for the cash.

In his latest adventure, Mr Buzi hid three jars each containing £1,000 around the UK.

And with the clues for the second round expected to be announced any day now, Mr Machin and his mates are planning on tripling their money.

He said: “We’re just waiting for the next clues and we’ll be back at it.”

The super sleuths are all from South Wales. Mr Machin and his friend Dan Einon, 21, are both from the Rhondda Valley, and Craig Jefferies, 33, is from Cardiff.

They cracked the final three clues, “Where cows meet dragons”, “Three woods, close together” and “A small rodent in a large house”, finding the jar just after 9pm last Thursday night.

Described as “an anonymous social experience for good” on Hidden Cash’s Twitter page, the hunt has the friends looking to carry on the chain.

Mr Machin and Mr Einon are each chipping £50 of their shares and will be hiding £5 notes around the South Wales valley.

And like Mr Buzi, they will be leaking clues through Twitter, using Mr Machin’s account @jimmyjamjam27.

The American is "ecstatic" that they will be carrying on the hunt, said Mr Machin, who spoke briefly to him after finding the cash.