Cargo Thieves Make A Break With 413,793 KitKat Bars — And What It Says About Freight Fraud

Freight fraud is on the rise, from stolen KitKat bars to $400K lobster heists. What’s driving the trend -- and how can shippers reduce their risk?

Mar 30, 2026

Yes, you read that correctly. As reported by The Associated Press this past weekend, “Swiss food giant Nestlé says about 12 tons, or 413,793 candy bars, of its KitKat chocolate brand were stolen after leaving its production site in Italy earlier this week for Poland.”

(I don’t think this is what Nestlé had in mind with its “Have a break, have a KitKat” ad campaign.)

“Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes,” Nestlé said in a statement, according to the article.

Freight fraud is no longer an occasional problem — it’s becoming systemic. Just last week, we published a guest commentary by Andrew Wimer from Descartes on this very topic (“Freight Fraud: Combatting The Growing Threat To Supply Chain Integrity”). Here are other posts we have published in the past 2 years that shine a spotlight on freight fraud:

Rising Diesel Prices: How Are Shippers Responding?

Diesel prices are rising again — and quickly. As reported in the Wall Street Journal: “Diesel prices for U.S. truckers rose a record 96 cents a gallon this past week [25% increase], an ominous sign for retailers and manufacturers juggling tariffs and bracing for higher shipping costs following the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.”

If elevated prices persist through the rest of 2026, how will shippers respond?

This survey explored the expected impact on transportation spend, the actions companies are most likely to take, how fuel surcharge programs are structured, and the biggest challenges in managing fuel price volatility.

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