Man Arrested for Dumping 100 Cockroaches at Restaurant Over Poor Service

A man in his 20s has been arrested by police in Taiwan after allegedly dumping about 100 live cockroaches into a restaurant and fleeing.

According to Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) and the United Daily News, Taiwanese police arrested a 29-year-old surnamed Yu and sought an arrest warrant on charges of forcibly obstructing business and threatening safety.

Yu is accused of entering a popular restaurant in the Anping District of Tainan City in southern Taiwan during the daytime wearing a raincoat and a helmet, shouting profanities, and dumping a bag containing around 100 cockroaches onto the checkout counter before escaping.

At the time, customers reportedly screamed and fled the restaurant as the cockroaches crawled across the floor.

Local police investigations revealed that Yu committed the crime out of a grudge after arguing with the owner over dissatisfaction with the restaurant's service.

The Tainan District Prosecutors Office stated, "We sought an arrest warrant because we determined that the charges under the criminal law, including intimidation, are serious, and there are concerns of flight, destruction of evidence, and reoffending."

Taiwanese prosecutors are continuing further investigations to determine whether the motive was merely simple dissatisfaction or if there is someone behind the act.

In Taiwan, an incident occurred in 2021 where over 10,000 cockroaches were thrown into a restaurant following a debt dispute, resulting in a six-month prison sentence for the main culprit.

Local media pointed out that because cockroaches meant for pet food can be easily and cheaply purchased online in Taiwan, cases of cockroaches being misused as a means of retaliation or debt collection have been occurring continuously.

(Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Kim Min-ji | Design by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.