Police in Japan have carried out several 'sting' operations against the rising number of bee rustling gangs who are stealing colonies hoping to 'cash in' on huge profits.
The driving force behind the rise is thought to be the spiraling cost of bees following a report in The Spoof which claimed that 'bees are the hottest newcomer to the flourishing 'legal' drugs market.
Criminal gangs have discovered that the bees are harvesting poppies to produce an opiate substance which, while legal in many countries, is extremely potent and could present a serious health risk to humans who use it.
It is not known why the bees produce the compound but they are universally knows for their hard-working nature and it could be that they use it during their weekend 'chill out' sessions.
The substance is commonly sold for human consumption using its street name 'Beadle', a reference to an English TV presenter whose demented activities are similar to the behaviour displayed by drug users during a 'high'.
The drug has become particularly widespread in Japan leading to the announcement by police there that, "The increasing use of bee products in recreational drug use, and the rising number of gangs hoping to benefit from the potentially massive profits has left us no option but to take action"
Until now the police strategy has consisted of posting plain-clothed officers in Accident and Emergency departments in hospitals close to fruit growing areas, where the bees are commonly used to pollinate the crops.
"Bees can be extremely aggressive when guarding their 'stash' and gang members have not had time to develop effective tactics to deal with the angry bees. Accidents are common and the large red welts on gang members' faces and arms are a dead giveaway when they attend hospitals for treatment." said Inspector Gotya Mei-Tee, the officer in charge of the investigation.
While the police response was initially successful, professional gangs now seem to have 'learned their lesson' and are turning to professionals for training and help. Mr Mei-Tee admitted this meant their strategy was becoming less effective.
"We know of at least one gang which is receiving training from a man known to us only as Mr Bee-g. Finding this person will help our enquiries immensely and we would ask everyone to be on the look out for a suspicious looking man wearing a bee-keeper's mask and all-in-one protective clothing"