Six months suspended prison sentence for Ruche de Rosis thief

Les ruches avaient été volées à un apiculteur professionnel. Archives Midi Libre

Since July 2023, an investigation has been underway to find a beehive thief who was rampant in Biterrois and in the upper cantons. He was caught by the courts.

On July 27, 2023, after a report from a local resident, the gendarmes of the Bédarieux brigade discovered several hives on land located in the commune of Rosis. It turned out that five of them had been stolen in May 2023 from professional beekeepers not far from Laurens. Hives and beekeeping equipment were also seized from the home of the owner of the land, an amateur beekeeper. He said he did not know that these hives came from a theft, claiming to have found them next to containers.

The convicted thief

At the end of the investigations, the amateur beekeeper was presented before the Béziers court. He was convicted of concealment of theft with a suspended prison sentence of 6 months. The amateur beekeeper, owner of the land, must also compensate the two victims to the tune of 2,000 euros. each, for their moral damage, the hives having been returned to them.