Nutella Features Alongside Drugs, Guns, And Cars In Major Crime Bust

When you think of contraband that might be stolen by professional thieves, you think of things you see in movies: drugs, guns, high-end cars, diamonds, etc. What you may not think of, though, is sweet treats such as Nutella. A couple of thieves in Toronto beg to differ, though.

“Canadian crime ring” sounds a little like a bad joke, but police in Toronto recently busted a high-profile criminal group and seized around $5 million in stolen goods. Alongside the 60 luxury automobiles, drugs, guns and cash was an estimated $16,000 worth of the popular hazelnut spread Nutella.

The crime ring includes 23 people who have now had a total of 137 charges brought against them. The most notorious among them is 60-year-old Balwinder Dhaliwal, known as the “King of Car Thieves.”

Nutella may seem like a strange thing to steal when listed next to cocaine, marijuana, heroin and guns, but it’s actually pretty valuable. Hazelnut harvest this year was much worse than in recent years, leading to a more than 35% increase in the price of Nutella. In fact, back in 2013, thieves in Germany saw the value in this tasty spread and made off with 5.5 tons of it.

So, the next time you purchase some of this delicious treat and wonder why it’s so expensive, just thank all the people out there stealing it alongside their drugs and guns.