New Delhi: In a scene that could be from a quirky crime movie, thieves in Europe stole a whole truck carrying 12 tons of KitKat chocolate bars.
The real surprise is the reason they targeted this shipment.
The huge shipment, which included 413,793 units of Nestlé’s new ‘Formula One’ range, disappeared last week while on its way from a factory in central Italy to Poland. The truck and all its chocolate are still missing. Investigators are puzzled, and chocolate lovers are left wondering if their favorite bars will vanish from stores just before Easter.
Nestlé confirmed the theft with a light-hearted statement, saying the truck vanished halfway through its trip across Europe. Playing on their famous slogan, the company joked that the thieves “took it seriously and went on a ‘break’ with over 12 tons of our chocolate.” They also complimented the thieves’ “excellent taste” for choosing KitKat. The humour lies in a smart criminal calculation. Unlike stealing electronics or cash, chocolate is surprisingly easy to offload. Thieves can sell it quickly at 40-50 per cent discounts to small shops, street vendors, or through grey markets without raising too many questions.
Repackaging by removing batch codes and expiry dates helps hide the trail, and sales can happen via local markets, online platforms, or even the dark web using crypto.
Experts say that organised cargo theft rings see candy as a good target because it is in high demand and carries less risk than more expensive goods. With Easter coming up, the temptation was even greater since chocolate sales rise during the holiday.
Police and Nestlé are working together, hoping the unique batch codes on each bar will help them track down any illegal sales. The latest is that the truck is still missing, and the chocolate has disappeared into the European underworld.