A chocolate heist: Tonnes KitKat bars are stolen on transit

The company has verified that the thousands of KitKat bars were stolen while on transit from Italy to Poland.

About 12 tonnes of KitKat products were stolen while being transported from a facility in central Italy to their planned destination in Poland, according to a statement released on the company's official X account on March 29.

KitKat, in a press statement on Monday, said it was closely collaborating with local law enforcement and supply chain partners to look into the situation and determine how the theft happened.

Cargo theft that targets fast-moving consumer goods, including sweets, has increased in several parts of Europe in recent years, albeit the precise location and date of the theft are still unknown.

According to industry estimates, food shipments are frequently targeted by organised crime organisations since they are easier to resell and have less traceability than expensive gadgets.

Despite the incident, KitKat reassured customers that supply to markets has not been impacted and that there are no safety issues associated with the pilfered goods.

The ‘chocolate heist’ has sparked reactions across food and beverage brands worldwide, attracting social media reactions from football clubs and other organisations. 

Candy maker Om Nom, weighed in on the trend saying; “We can confirm that Om Nom had nothing to do with this.” 

Cookie manufacturer Crumbl has also made it clear that its only business is cookies, and took the opportunity to tease its yum cookies. 

“Crumbl would like to share our thoughts and condolences at this time. We can confirm that we had nothing to do with this,” it said. 

Pizza maker Dominos also joined the trend, saying it would introduce a ‘Kit Kat pizza’. 

Also joining the trend, Football club Charlotte FC said it would offer chocolate bars in its upcoming match. 

“On an unrelated note, we are happy to share we will be offering roughly 413,000 at this Saturdays match against Philadelphia at Bank of America stadium,” Charlotte FC teased.