TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The owner of Feng Kang Ranch, surnamed Yun (雲), was detained Tuesday on suspicion of concealing a bird flu outbreak at his farm and illegally disposing of dead chickens near his home and possibly in Miaoli County.

To clarify a possible connection between a large number of dead chickens found in a drainage channel and farmland in Miaoli County and a recent bird flu outbreak in Taichung, prosecutors searched Feng Kang Ranch, per CNA. They also brought in Yun, two ranch employees and a Miaoli landowner surnamed Yen (顏), who was suspected of allowing bird flu-stricken chickens to be disposed of on his land.

After questioning Yun and Yen, prosecutors said the two were suspected of violating the “Waste Disposal Act.” Prosecutors requested detention from the Taichung District Court. The court ordered Yun detained, while Yen was released on bail of NT$200,000 (US$6,333), per Liberty Times.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) updated the public on the bird flu outbreak on Monday, stressing it had been contained within the ranch, per CNA. She said the city government was still tracking and recovering eggs linked to the case.

The Taichung Agriculture Bureau said the ranch discovered a potential bird flu situation on Jan. 10 but failed to report it to authorities, per Knews. The bureau said the ranch had already met the reporting threshold after losing 1,700 of its 7,000 chickens.

Lu said the city government issued NT$1.15 million in fines and that the ranch will not be compensated for the 5,000 chickens that were culled to contain the outbreak.