Man arrested on suspicion of stealing 5 million bees

A man has been arrested for stealing more than 180 hives and some 5 million bees in St-Valère, near Victoriaville, Canada, at the end of April.



The 36-year-old man appeared in court in Victoriaville on Thursday afternoon. The Sûreté du Québec arrested him on Wednesday in Mandeville, in the Lanaudière region.

However, the bees, belonging to the family-owned Miel Labonté company, have not been found, the SQ said. The police are continuing their investigation of the heist. There may have been more than one bee robber involved, the police said.



The value of the hives, and their occupants, is estimated at around $200,000, the president of Miel Labonté, Jean-Marc Labonté, has said. They were stolen from their owner between April 24 and 26. The hives are individually constructed and each one bears the inscription “Miel Labonté,” says the SQ, which is asking for the public’s help to track down other suspects or the hives.