German police are searching for two, or more, chocolate thieves after a pair of truck trailers packed with 44 tons (48.5 US tons) of chocolate were stolen.

Police put the value of the heist, which occurred Friday night at an industrial park in the southwest city of Freiburg, at €400,000 ($496,000).

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One trailer was recovered Saturday at a rest stop near the German-French border. The driver fled on foot but the chocolate was recovered. The second truck was found in Lahr, about 45 km (28 miles) north of Freiburg, near the French border.

There, too, the driver escaped, as did much of the chocolate. There are conflicting reports as to whether the trailer's entire 22 tons of chocolate were gone or merely two-thirds of it. Either way, police are searching for the thieves and have asked the public particularly any witnesses, for help.

This is the second time in six months that a large stash of chocolate has been stolen in Germany.

bik/rt (AP, AFP)