Organized cheese theft in Knegsel: Thieves take over 1,000 kilos
More than 1,000 kilos of cheese were stolen from family-owned cheese shop Nieuwerwets in Knegsel during an overnight theft on Friday. The perpetrators forced their way onto the property, using a van and a wheelbarrow to transfer the large quantity of stolen goods. Business owner Wilco de Crom, devastated by the incident, believes the heist was carefully planned, Omroep Brabant reports.
“This could not have been done without prior preparation,” De Crom said. He co-owns Nieuwerwets with his brother and suspects that the shop’s recent success may have played a role in making it a target. “We had just won gold at the National Cheese Inspection. Maybe the thieves saw an opportunity because of that. I’d rather not say how much the stolen load is worth—I don’t want to give anyone else ideas.”
The crime was discovered early Saturday morning by an employee who arrived to collect a cheese transport vehicle. The worker found that three of the four delivery wagons had been emptied, with only a few small pieces of cheese left behind. Each vehicle had been loaded with approximately 350 kilos of cheese, making the theft a significant operation.
“They were busy for over an hour,” De Crom said. Surveillance footage from neighboring properties provided crucial details about the crime. The thieves drove a van through a nearby field, leaving visible tire tracks in the grass. They then broke through a hedge and forced open the company’s gate.
Using a wheelbarrow stolen from the shop itself, the perpetrators moved the large cheese blocks from the wagons into their vehicle. “Even with everything locked up, something like this can still happen. It makes you furious,” De Crom said.
De Crom is appealing to customers and the public to be on the lookout for the stolen cheese. He hopes someone will recognize the products being sold in an unusual setting. “These cheeses will end up somewhere—they have to. I’m hoping someone spots them for sale without our involvement and reports it.”
