Beijing man arrested for extortion scheme using cockroaches in food

A man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to extort money from multiple restaurants in Beijing by planting cockroaches in their food, authorities said.

The man, identified by his surname Su, was apprehended after his scheme was uncovered by the Haidian District Administration for Market Supervision, in collaboration with the police.

According to officials, Su dined alone at a grilled fish restaurant in April and claimed he had found a cockroach in his food. He demanded 1,000 yuan ($139) in compensation from the restaurant. After negotiation, the restaurant paid Su 500 yuan and waived his bill. However, Su deleted the restaurant manager's contact information after receiving the compensation.

Another restaurant reported that Su demanded compensation after claiming he found a cockroach in his food. The restaurant manager reviewed surveillance footage and saw Su placing something on the table while reviewing the menu. When the manager threatened to call the police, Su immediately paid his bill and left.

After investigating, authorities discovered that Su had used the same tactic to extort money from several other restaurants in the city within a short period.

Su was arrested by the police and confessed to his crimes. He admitted that he had collected cockroaches at home, cooked them, and then planted them in the restaurants' food before demanding compensation.

The Haidian market supervision authority has cracked down on three other cases of malicious compensation claims and extortion since July last year, apprehending three individuals who added hair, insects, and mealworms to takeout orders or restaurant dishes.