A man in Taiwan has been arrested by police after allegedly throwing more than 100 live cockroaches inside a well-known restaurant.

According to reports from Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) and the United Daily News on the 1st, Taiwan police announced that they arrested a 29-year-old male, surnamed Yu, at his residence on August 31 on charges including forcibly obstructing the business operations of the restaurant's owner and employees and posing a threat to safety.

Yu entered the restaurant at 12:30 PM on August 29, hurled verbal abuse, and dumped a bag containing about 100 cockroaches near the cash register before fleeing, but he was subsequently caught.

Taiwan prosecutors have requested an arrest warrant for the detained suspect.

In a press release distributed to the media the previous day, the Tainan District Prosecutors Office explained, "We requested the arrest warrant because we determined that the charges of coercion and intimidation under the Criminal Code are serious, and there are concerns of flight, destruction of evidence, and reoffending."

They added, "Because the motive stated by the defendant for the crime is unclear, we will further investigate the relevant evidence and facts."

However, the court granted his release on bail set at 30,000 New Taiwan dollars (approx. 1.3 million won).

Instead, restrictions were placed on his residence.

The United Daily News reported, "According to reports, Yu stated that he committed the act out of a grudge after previously arguing with the restaurant over dissatisfaction with their service attitude." It added, "However, prosecutors believe he is not telling the truth regarding whether the motive is truly this simple or if someone behind the scenes ordered the act."

In Taiwan, an incident in 2021 also shocked the public when a dispute over a debt led someone to purchase about 10,000 cockroaches and have them thrown inside a restaurant and a lobby.

At the time, the masterminds were convicted of intimidation and sentenced to six months in prison.

Local media outlets pointed out that in Taiwan, red cockroaches used as pet food are easily and cheaply available online, leading to recent instances of them being used as a means for debt collection or illegal retaliation.