Record 100,000 illegal exotic cockroaches seized in Australian raid
Biosecurity authorities in Australia have conducted a record-breaking operation, seizing more than 100,000 live exotic cockroaches from a commercial breeder in New South Wales.
The raid, which took place this week at a property in Bathurst in the state’s central west, targeted invertebrates with an estimated commercial value of up to $200,000, reports Guardian.
Amongst the captured insects were Dubia cockroaches and Madagascar hissing cockroaches, the latter being one of the largest species in the world.
According to Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, exotic cockroaches cannot be legally imported, kept, bred, or sold within the country.
Officials warned that these species have not undergone environmental risk assessments and pose a severe biosecurity threat, with the potential to spread diseases and damage native wildlife and agriculture.
A spokesperson for the department stated that the cockroaches were likely intended for the pet trade, specifically as food for reptiles, frogs, and fish.
“We’re seeing illegal breeding and trading of exotic cockroaches and we’re putting pet businesses and pet owners on notice,” the spokesperson said, adding that those in possession of such insects face federal penalties.
Reptile owners were advised to utilise legal alternatives, such as wood roaches and crickets.
Dr Carol Booth, the policy director at the Invasive Species Council, described the find as a “shocking discovery” and commended the authorities for dismantling the “criminal enterprise”.
She noted that the presence of foreign species represents a massive biosecurity risk to Australia’s more than 500 native cockroach species.
Booth expressed concern regarding the scale of the Bathurst operation, suggesting it points to a wider black market for illegal wildlife, including invasive ants and exotic snakes.
She further called for the Australian legal system to treat wildlife crimes with greater severity and for departments to be granted more investigative resources.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is currently overseeing the euthanasia and disposal of the seized insects.
