Despite their predilection for fingering butter, two thieves failed to slip past the long arm of the law when they tried to pilfer a stockpile of dairy products worth hundreds of dollars.    

RCMP announced today (November 15) that officers arrested two Vancouver men after 6:30 p.m. on November 14 in Coquitlam.

The duo, consisting of a 23-year-old male and a 25-year-old partner, was arrested outside a supermarket in the 1300 block of Lougheed Highway for allegedly stealing a shopping cart that contained over $1,400 worth of butter.

The 23-year-old male is a suspect in three other butter thefts that have taken place in Metro Vancouver over the past few months.

While butter may seem like an unusual item to steal, Coquitlam RCMP explained in a news release that food products such as cheese, meat, and baby formula may be stolen to sell on illegal markets.

Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin stated in a news release that an employee at the store recognized one of the suspects due to his reputation for shoplifting butter.

"He was a bit slippery to catch but you know what they say; butter late than never," Cpl. McLaughlin stated in the news release. Although it is not yet known whether anyone laughed, Cpl. McLaughlin's puns may very well take the cake.