A man faces charges after reports that a claw machine he rented contained live lobsters and crabs, New Taipei City police said on Saturday.
A 45-year-old man surnamed Feng (馮) allegedly bought crabs and lobsters for NT$200 to NT$450 per jin (600g) and placed them in the claw machine in Jhonghe District (中和), police said.
Police quoted Feng as saying that he rented the machine for NT$5,000 per month and would make at least NT$500 per day, as the Louisiana crayfish and hairy crabs would dodge the claw as it descended, providing players a bigger challenge.
Photo copied by Chen Yi-yun, Taipei Times
Members of the public who reported the situation said it was cruel to place live animals in a claw machine, according to police.
Feng pleaded ignorance of regulations against putting live animals in claw machines, police said.
He thought of the idea after a friend in the aquaculture business told him Louisiana crayfish did not sell well, police quoted him as saying.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs in July said that regulations for claw machines forbid the use of live animals.
The New Taipei Police Department said it passed the case to district prosecutors.
Feng is to be charged for breaches of the Electronic Game Arcade Business Regulation Act (電子遊戲場業管理條例) and Chapter 21 of the Criminal Code, which covers gambling.
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