Cockroach haul tops $1,00,000 in Australia

Wellington: Australian authorities have seized more than 100,000 live exotic cockroaches from a commercial breeder in Bathurst, New South Wales, marking the country's largest-ever confiscation of illegal invertebrates.

The haul included Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dubia cockroaches, valued at about A$200,000. Both species are banned from import and cannot be legally kept, bred or sold in Australia.

Officials said the insects pose biosecurity risks because they have not undergone environmental risk assessments and could spread disease or harm native wildlife.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water said the cockroaches would be euthanised. No charges have been filed against the breeder.

Authorities urged reptile owners to use legal alternatives such as crickets and wood roaches as feed.

—AP