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Men in black hurl 1,000 roaches during Taipei police chief banquet

5 suspects arrested in connection with dumping of cockroaches at Taipei police banquet

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Roaches scurry around reception desk. (Taipei City Councilor, Wang Hsin-yi photo)

Roaches scurry around reception desk. (Taipei City Councilor, Wang Hsin-yi photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two men dressed in black tossed bags filled with more than 1,000 cockroaches at a banquet attended by Taipei and New Taipei police commissioners on Monday evening (May 3).

Taipei City Wolong Street Police Station hosted the dinner at G House Taipei banquet hall on Xinsheng North Road in Taipei's Zhongshan District. There were 70 tables and more than 700 guests, including Taipei Police Department Commissioner Chen Jia-chang (陳嘉昌) and New Taipei Police Department Commissioner Huang Tsung-jen (黃宗仁).

At around 7:24 p.m., two men dressed in black dumped the bags of cockroaches at the reception desk on the second floor of the establishment, before fleeing the scene, reported CNA.

The Zhongshan Precinct of the Taipei Police Department and the department's Criminal Investigation Division and Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) have formed a special team and to investigate the incident. Chen stayed at Zhongshan Precinct station throughout the night as he oversaw the investigation personally.

Men in black hurl 1,000 roaches during Taipei police chief banquet
Entrance to G House. (Google image)

Based on the team's preliminary findings, five suspects have been identified — four men and one woman — and they have all been taken into custody. Based in Taipei's Beitou District the individuals are believed to have been involved in a financial dispute with the venue's owner.

During a press conference on Tuesday (May 4), Chen said that throwing bags of cockroaches, like splashing paint and feces, is a violent act and should be severely punished. He said police have determined the identities of the suspects and they would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

When asked by reporters to comment on a rumor that the roaches used in the incident were Turkestan cockroaches, purchased at a Taipei store selling aquarium supplies, Chen said the roaches were indeed small and likely the kind used for feeding fish. He said such roaches can be purchased at fish stores and on the internet.

Men in black hurl 1,000 roaches during Taipei police chief banquet
(Facebook, Li Yan-fang photo)

Chen said that when the incident occurred, he noticed that banquet hall employees were dealing with some sort of situation and roaches started to appear in the dining area. He said he decided to set up a task force on the spot.

Chen, who is set to retire in July, said the task force members stayed up all night to conduct an investigation. He said that he reported the matter to Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) who expressed his hope the perpetrators would be quickly apprehended.

Men in black hurl 1,000 roaches during Taipei police chief banquet
Men in black dump cockroaches on desk. (Taipei Police department photo)

Men in black hurl 1,000 roaches during Taipei police chief banquet
Men in black flee the scene. (Taipei Police department photo)

Men in black hurl 1,000 roaches during Taipei police chief banquet
A plague of roaches at reception counter. (Taipei City Councilor, Wang Hsin-yi photo)