Swiss food giant Nestle reported that thieves stole a truckload of about 12 tons of KitKat chocolate bars last week.
The company described it as an escalating cargo theft across Europe.
The truck was reportedly loaded with almost 413,793 bars of KitKat’s new chocolate range.
It departed from the production facility in central Italy and was destined for Poland. However, it could never get there.
Nestle further stated that investigations are still ongoing in cooperation with local authorities as the vehicle and its contents remain unknown.
According to the company’s spokesperson, “We’ve always encouraged people to take a break with KitKat. But it seems thieves took the message too literally and took a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate.”
Nestle has not yet confirmed a motive as the thieves have not been caught.
But the most likely reason may be the resale value. The estimated street value of the stolen chocolate is around $100,000 or even more.
This is a lucrative target for organized cargo theft rings. Another prominent reason could be the increase in demand across Europe as Easter approaches.
The company has also warned that the missing pillars may “enter unofficial sales channels.”
But officials confirm the stolen chocolates are easily traceable due to their unique batch codes printed on each bar.
Nestle has decided not to disclose the exact location from where the truck disappeared.
