Strange crimewave could end up costing you more

Organised crime rings have targeted the next money crop in New Zealand; honey.  Hives are being stolen and sold on a unground market as honey prices soar.

There have been over 400 bee and honey thefts reported in with the number threatening to rise as the demand for Manuka honey grows.

Senior Sergeant Alasdair MacMillan of the New Zealand Police told the ABC, “There is nothing to suggest at this stage that beehive/honey theft is directly linked with a particular gang, but we do believe this offending is organised and likely being carried out by groups”.

Bee Farmers are now putting a lot of money into beefing up security with one company putting in a new $5,000 security system after it was discovered that one to two of their hives were stolen every week.

With honey prices in some places almost tripling, this current crime spree threatens to raise the prices even more as farmers and companies are forced to amp up security or to make up for lost hives.

The next time you are at the shop and wondering why the price of honey has gone up you now know because there is a strange world of underground bee markets that are cashing in on the liquid gold.

What do you think could be done to stop the bee thieves?