Executive served nasty surprise that wasn't on the menu

The chairman of a troubled property company received a surprise that wasn't on the menu while dining at a cafe at the Sherwood Hotel on Friday.

Huang Tsung-hung (黃宗宏), chairman of the Taiwan Pineapple Group (台鳳集團), was seated in the Sherwood's cafe on Friday when a stranger approached and dumped two poisonous snakes onto his lap.

The incident occurred at roughly 7pm while Huang was talking with a friend. In his initial shock, Huang stood up and yelled "help!" as the snakes -- a 1m long cobra and a 60cm umbrella snake -- fell to the floor.

The serpents wriggled toward other tables, and in the ensuing chaos the bearer of the snakes slithered away.

No one was bitten by the deadly reptiles, and the cafe's staff eventually managed to corner the snakes against a wall, where they were beaten to death.

Police suspect Friday's incident was meant as a warning to Huang, who is involved in a NT$2.5 billion real estate deal in the Chiayi area.

Following a sharp decline in the value of Taiwan Pineapple's shares, Huang has failed to make a number of scheduled loan payments. The creditor may be seeking help from organized crime groups in the collection of the debt, police said.

But the use of poisonous snakes is a departure from the usual intimidation tactics employed. In Taiwan, more common threats include sending a debtor a "peanut," or bullet, or splattering him with the bloody organs of an animal.

Continued failure to repay a debt can result in assassination. Occasionally, if negotiations have entirely broken down, the debtor's house or office may be sprayed with gunfire.

Because even underworld tough guys would likely feel squeamish about handling poisonous snakes -- the umbrella snake is one of Taiwan's most deadly -- police suspect Friday's incident was the work of a gangster from China or Southeast Asia, where snake handling is more common.