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KitKat is asking for the public's help after thieves made off with 12 tons of the company's chocolate — prompting the launch of a new tracking tool to help locate the missing shipment.
The brand, owned by Nestlé, announced the theft in a March 28 statement.
The company said 413,793 bars vanished after leaving a factory in central Italy en route to Poland, where they were set for distribution across Europe.
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"We've always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat, but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tons of our chocolate," a KitKat spokesperson said at the time.
The spokesperson added that while the company does "appreciate the criminals' exceptional taste," the cargo theft highlights a growing issue affecting businesses of all sizes.
KitKat is asking for public assistance after more than 12 tons of its chocolate disappeared during a shipment across Europe, according to the company. (Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images)
"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," the statement added.
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On Wednesday — which also happened to be April Fools' Day — the company launched a tool for customers to check if their KitKat bars are linked to the theft.
KitKat encouraged consumers to visit its online tool as part of efforts to track down the missing chocolate shipment. (KitKat/Nestlé)
"Someone really stole 12 tons of KitKats. And we really want to know where they've gone," the company said in an X post.
"So, we've created a Stolen KitKat Tracker that lets you check if your KitKat is from the missing batch."
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Some social media users questioned whether the announcement was a marketing stunt tied to April Fools' Day.
"Is this all for marketing?" one person asked.
The brand acknowledged the unusual nature of the incident while urging the public to help identify the missing chocolate products. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
KitKat acknowledged the skepticism while reiterating the theft is real and under investigation.
"Sadly, it's true!" KitKat responded. "An actual truckload of KitKats from a new range went missing during transit last week. We're on the case with the authorities for this."
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"I really, really hope the stolen KitKat tracker is a real thing and not an April Fools' joke," another X user said.
"It sounds wild... and we do love a good 'break' pun, but this is 100% legit," the candy giant responded.
Social media users initially questioned whether the announcement was an April Fools' Day joke before the company confirmed it was legitimate. (Fairfax Media via Getty Images via Getty Images)
There is no indication U.S. consumers are affected, as the stolen shipment was bound for European markets, according to the company.
Consumers are encouraged to visit KitKat's online tracker to check their products.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Nestlé for further comment.
Michael Sinkewicz of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
