Tough sanctions against Russia are prompting a series of high-value cheese thefts - thanks to a thriving black market exploiting Western product shortages.
Experts believe as a result of Moscow being hit with unprecedented sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, thieves are capitalising on the shortages.
Cheese thefts worth more than £17,000 have disappeared from warehouses, apparently stolen by organised crime gangs for the secret Moscow market.
More than 1,600 kilogrammes (3,527 lbs) of cheese worth over EUR 21,000 (USD 23,000; GBP £17,500) was stolen in the Netherlands, which has hit one dairy farm extremely hard.
One of the cheese thefts took place at a dairy farm called Torenpolderkaas, in the town of Fijnaart, in the southern Dutch province of North Brabant.
The theft has reportedly set the farm back by six months in terms of production after all the cheese wheels maturing in storage were stolen.
And Theo Dekker, Chairman of dairy farmers organisation Bond van Boerderij-Zuiverlbereiders, thinks there could be a link with Russia.
Dekker said: "We will need better security for our cheeses from now on. This is not just a simple theft, it's organised crime."
He also added that the thieves tend to visit the farm's shop to conduct a survey of the area before returning a few days later to carry out their theft.
Theo said: "It is of course never pleasant to have burglars in your yard. We know all too well how much craft is involved in the cheeses."
And he believes the cheeses are popping up on the black market in Eastern Europe, possibly before being sent further east.
Dekker said: "We have had reports of cheeses ending up in Russia where no Dutch dairy can be bought because of the economic sanctions."
The stolen cheeses are all marked with a special code that makes them practically impossible to sell in the Netherlands.
And whilst there have been amateur thieves before who have attempted to steal, they've been quickly arrested quickly thanks to the codes on the cheese wheels, according to Theo.
However, he thinks that this latest theft is a sign of things to come.
He said: "But those were amateurs and cheese farmers are now up against something bigger.
"The number is pressed into the rind and cannot be removed without damaging the cheese. As a result, the thieves cannot sell the entire cheese in the Netherlands.
"But yes, if you cut off a piece, you will of course no longer see where the cheese comes from."
