Police have seized a truckload of stolen bee hives worth as much as $45,000 as the thieves were trying to spirit them out of Northland.
The three-tonne truck was stopped as it was heading south near Kawakawa about 6.30am on Thursday in a joint operation by Kaitaia and Tauranga police.
Officers found just over 50 hives on board along with empty beehive boxes and other equipment. Two Tauranga men, aged 40 and 46, were arrested.
The 46-year-old appeared in the Whangarei District Court yesterday charged with burglary and five counts of receiving stolen property.
The other man has been bailed and is due in court in Tauranga next week.