Australian cockroach kingpin caught with 100,000 illegal insects in record bug bust

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — More than 100,000 live cockroaches illegal to keep in Australia were confiscated from a single breeder in the country’s largest-ever seizure of exotic invertebrates, officials said Friday.

The haul of Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dubia cockroaches, worth 200,000 Australian dollars ($142,000), was seized in May from a commercial breeder in the city of Bathurst in New South Wales state, according to Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water.

The Madagascar hissing species is one of the world’s biggest cockroaches, measuring 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 centimeters) in length. Photos released by the department showed a shiny, brown invertebrate larger than a person’s finger.

It's much bigger than the country's common Australian cockroach, which measures between 0.9 and 1.4 inches (2.3 and 3.6 centimeters) long. Cockroaches flourish in Australia due to its sub-tropical climates and the country is home to hundreds of species.

Bathurst snake catcher Stefanie Lesser told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the larger exotic species were likely being sold as as a cost-effective reptile food because their large size meant fewer insects were needed. Officials urged pet owners to seek out crickets or wood roaches to feed their lizards instead.

Both Madagascar hissing and dubia cockroaches are illegal to import into Australia. They can’t be legally kept, bred or sold no matter how they were obtained, the department said in a statement.

Australia has strict biosecurity controls at its borders to protect its agriculture and horticulture sectors and native wildlife from pest infestations. Those smuggling in undeclared or illegal animal, insect or plant material can be fined thousands of dollars.

Exotic cockroaches “have not been subject to an environmental risk assessment” and they could spread disease or harm native wildlife, the statement said. Officials warned of prosecutions against those caught with the invertebrates.

A spokesperson said charges weren’t laid against the Bathurst breeder. The cockroaches seized would be euthanized, the department said.

This image supplied by Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water shows, Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dubia cockroaches, seized from a commercial breeder at Bathurst, Australia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water via AP)

This image supplied by Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water shows, Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dubia cockroaches, seized from a commercial breeder at Bathurst, Australia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water via AP)

This image supplied by Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water shows, a staff member holding a Madagascar hissing cockroach seized from a commercial breeder at Bathurst, Australia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water via AP)

This image supplied by Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water shows, a staff member holding a Madagascar hissing cockroach seized from a commercial breeder at Bathurst, Australia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water via AP)

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Gunmen raided an off-campus residence in northwest Nigeria and kidnapped seven students, police said.

The attack occurred early Wednesday in the Kaura Namoda area of conflict-battered Zamfara state, police spokesman Yazid Abubakar said in a statement. One of the students escaped and was in custody.

The police spokesman said it wasn't clear where the students were taken but efforts were underway to rescue the remaining six.

Zamfara has been a hotspot for armed gangs that carry out kidnappings for ransom, with abductions of students increasing in recent years across the country.

A tally by local news outlet Premium Times found that at least 1,900 students have been kidnapped from 20 schools since the 2014 mass abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno state.

People protest demanding government to rescue the school children that were recently kidnapped in various part of the country, on the street of Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)

Children protest demanding government to rescue the school children that were recently kidnapped in various part of the country, on the street of Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)