More than 100,000 live exotic cockroaches seized from a commercial breeder in Bathurst are being euthanised in what authorities say is Australia’s largest seizure of illegal invertebrates, and the haul is valued at up to $200,000. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water said the insects included dubia cockroaches and Madagascar hissing cockroaches, species prohibited from import, possession or sale in Australia. Federal officials warned the animals pose biosecurity risks because they have not undergone environmental risk assessment, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development will oversee humane disposal while investigators consider further compliance action.

The haul is believed to be the largest seizure of illegal exotic invertebrates in Australia, worth up to $200,000, after investigators recovered the insects from a commercial breeder in Bathurst.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water said the insects included dubia cockroaches and Madagascar hissing cockroaches. The federal department noted the two species are prohibited from import into Australia and therefore can't be legally possessed, bred or sold, regardless of how they were obtained. This department warned the animals had not been subject to an environmental risk assessment and could spread disease or harm native wildlife and agriculture if they escaped or were released.

Biosecurity risk and the legal ban

"We’re seeing illegal breeding and trading of exotic cockroaches and we’re putting pet businesses and pet owners on notice," a department spokesperson said. The spokesperson said anyone found to possess, breed or trade dubia or Madagascar hissing cockroaches can expect seizure of the animals and potential penalties under federal law. They also urged reptile owners to use legal alternatives such as crickets and wood roaches for feeders.

Federal officials emphasised the point as they characterised the raid as a big enforcement outcome. The seized insects were likely destined for the pet trade and for use as food for captive reptiles, the department said. That functional role in the pet economy helps explain why the operation reached such scale, investigators told colleagues.

Mastheads

The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is responsible for the humane euthanasia and secure disposal of the insects. Officials from that department will oversee the process to limit any chance of release into the environment. The federal department said further compliance actions and penalties could follow for those found to be involved in possession, breeding or trade of prohibited exotic invertebrates.

Local handlers and environmental groups respond

Local reptile handlers had increasingly reported seeing exotic invertebrates offered for sale online, and one Bathurst snake catcher, Stefanie Lesser, told reporters the roaches are attractive to some owners because of their large size and perceived cost effectiveness. "People do have them because they're big, they're sort of like the size of your palm of your hand," she said, explaining why some keepers prefer them to smaller feeders.

Carol Booth, policy director at the Invasive Species Council, called the find a "shocking discovery" and commended authorities for closing down what she described as a criminal enterprise. Booth said the scale of the operation raised questions about how widespread the illegal trade in exotic invertebrates might be and warned that introducing non native cockroaches could threaten Australia's diverse native cockroach fauna and other insects and could introduce novel diseases.

Booth urged stronger enforcement and more resourcing for departments that investigate the illegal exotic wildlife trade and flagged that the problem extends beyond invertebrates to include illegal sale and keeping of exotic snakes and other reptiles. Her comments followed the federal department's warning that pet businesses and private keepers will face heightened scrutiny.

Federal authorities declined to release details about any arrests or the identities of those involved as investigations continue. They did say the scale of the breeder operation suggested a commercial supply chain rather than isolated private keeping, and that online platforms appear to have played a role in connecting sellers and buyers.

Investigators also emphasised the unknowns around introducing non native invertebrates. Because species like dubia and Madagascar hissing cockroaches haven't been through Australia’s environmental risk assessment, officials can't be confident about their disease profile or the ecological pressures their establishment might create. That uncertainty is central to the legal prohibition on import and possession, the department said.

For now the immediate priority is containment and disposal. The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development will manage the euthanasia with oversight from federal authorities, and further compliance or legal action could follow depending on investigation findings.

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Investigators said further compliance action and potential penalties could follow as they probe the operation and its supply chain.

This article was created with AI assistance.