Man arrested after releasing 100 live cockroaches inside Taiwan restaurant

A man in his 20s was arrested after releasing more than 100 live cockroaches inside a popular restaurant in Taiwan.

Taiwanese police arrested a 29-year-old man identified by his surname Wei on Monday on charges of forcibly disrupting the business of a restaurant owner and employees and endangering public safety, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency and the United Daily News.

Wei entered the restaurant at around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, hurled insults at staff, then dumped a bag containing more than 100 cockroaches near the cashier counter before fleeing — but was later caught.

Prosecutors sought a detention warrant from the court for Wei following his arrest.

The Tainan District Prosecutors Office said in a press release Monday that its investigation found substantial grounds to charge Wei under the Criminal Code with offenses including coercion and intimidation, and that there was a risk of flight, destruction of evidence and reoffending. It added that the motive Wei stated was unclear and that investigators would continue to examine related evidence and establish the facts.

The court, however, approved his release on bail of 30,000 New Taiwan dollars ($930), with restrictions on his place of residence.

The United Daily News reported that Wei had stated he harbored a grudge against the restaurant over its service and had previously argued with staff before carrying out the attack. Prosecutors, however, said they were not convinced the motive was as straightforward as Wei claimed and were investigating whether anyone had directed him from behind the scenes.

Taiwan saw a similar incident in 2021, when a person purchased more than 10,000 cockroaches over a debt dispute and had them released inside a restaurant and its lobby. The ringleader in that case was convicted of intimidation and sentenced to six months in prison.

Local media said red cockroaches — commonly sold as pet food — are readily available online in Taiwan at low prices, and have of late been used as a tool for debt collection and illegal retaliation.