Cockroach king busted in Australia, held with 100,000 exotic roaches he bred

Authorities in Australia busted a cockroach king and seized more than 100,000 exotic cockroaches he allegedly bred illegally, in what officials described as the country's largest-ever confiscation of prohibited invertebrates, reported the news agency Associated Press (AP).

The insects, consisting of Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dubia cockroaches, were seized in May from a commercial breeder in Bathurst, New South Wales, according to a statement released on Friday by Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water.

Authorities estimated the seizure to be worth around AUD 200,000 (approximately USD 142,000).

In India, cockroaches are in the news for something entirely different.

On Saturday, Abhijit Dipke, the OG cockroach and founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), will land in New Delhi before proceeding to Jantar Mantar to lead protests demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the recent leaks and alleged scams.

Dipke's CJP started as an online satire but is turning into a protest movement offline. The group is set to hold its first major on-ground mobilisation at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, with Dipke expected to lead the protest after returning from Boston, the US. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has also expressed support for the demonstration and might receive Dipke upon his arrival in Delhi.

The Australian seizure involved Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dubia cockroaches, both species that are prohibited in Australia and cannot be legally imported, bred, sold or kept as pets, regardless of how they were obtained.

The Madagascar hissing cockroach, native to the African island nation of Madagascar, is among the largest cockroach species in the world, growing up to 8 centimetres long. Images released by the department showed specimens significantly larger than Australia's common household cockroaches.

Officials suspect the insects may have been destined for the exotic pet trade or used as reptile feed. Bathurst snake catcher Stefanie Lesser told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the larger cockroaches are sometimes favoured because fewer insects are needed to feed reptiles. Authorities have advised pet owners to use legal alternatives such as crickets or native wood roaches, reported the news agency Associated Press (AP).

Australia maintains some of the world's strictest biosecurity laws to protect its agriculture, native wildlife and ecosystems from invasive species and pests. The environment department warned that exotic cockroach species have not undergone environmental risk assessments and could potentially spread diseases or threaten local wildlife if released into the environment.

While no charges have been filed against the breeder so far, authorities said people found importing, possessing or distributing prohibited species could face significant penalties. The confiscated insects will be euthanised, the department added.

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