KitKat caper: Over 400,000 chocolate bars stolen in Europe

Somewhere in Europe, a truck full of KitKat bars appears to have taken an unscheduled "break", vanishing ahead of Easter in a heist that's equal parts sweet and strange.

The shipment -- 413,793 units of a new chocolate range, weighing about 12 tons -- was stolen on March 26 while in transit from a factory in central Italy to distributors in Poland. Parent company Nestle said that "the vehicle and its load are still nowhere to be found". The bars were meant for distribution across Europe.

"We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat," Nestl said, a callback to the brand’s iconic slogan. "But it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tons of our chocolate."

The missing stash includes bars from KitKat’s new Formula One-themed line, launched after the brand became the official F1 chocolate partner last year. The bars are shaped like race cars, while keeping the signature wafer-and-chocolate design.

"Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes," the company said. "With more sophisticated schemes being deployed on a regular basis, we have chosen to go public with our own experience in the hope that it raises awareness of an increasingly common criminal trend."

Nestle warned the stolen bars could surface through unofficial channels. However, it said each product can be tracked using batch codes printed on the packaging.

Consumers, retailers and wholesalers can scan these codes to check if a product is part of the stolen shipment. If flagged, the system will provide instructions to alert the company, which will then pass the information to authorities.

"We are working closely with local authorities and supply chain partners to investigate," KitKat said. "The good news: there are no concerns for consumer safety, and supply is not affected."

- Ends