Criminals drove into a van containing what is believed to have been a large shipment of the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, tear-gassed the driver and then made off with the vehicle.

While it hasn't officially been confirmed that the truck did in fact contain copies of the highly-anticipated title various news sources have reported that the truck contained nearly 6000 copies of the title, a quantity amounting to around 400,000 Euros or around £342,000. Of course one of the main issues facing the criminals will be getting rid of a shipment this large, especially when it's of official copies of the game.

This isn't the first time the Call of Duty franchise has been the victim of criminal activity, just a few weeks ago an employee stole a copy of the title and then illegally uploaded the game onto the internet. Activision although not confirming the theft has released a statement that anyone playing the game before the release date could face a ban.

With Battlefield 3 having netted huge sales on its opening launch the pressure will surely be on for Modern Warfare 3 to echo that success. Will you be heading out at midnight tonight to get a copy of the game? Let us know via the comments box below...

Source: CVG