Transformer robots are popular not only in movies but as toys. Life-size versions of the robots that transform into cars and vice versa, however, drew more than enough attention when a Thai woman tried to ship them to Taiwan for a movie exhibition.

Models of the Transformers characters Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Greenlight found in a warehouse in Bangkok last month drew suspicion as the woman who was about to ship them abroad had been previously arrested for drug trafficking, according to reports.

True enough, when Thai police examined the statues, they found 317 kilos of ketamine packed in the base of each statue. The chemical is a medical anesthetic that is abused by drug addicts for its hallucinogenic effects.

In Japan, a popular brand of bread recently shocked local consumers for containing something unexpected.

Two consumer complaints reported to the bread manufacturer Pasco Shikishima Corporation (PSC) prompted it to recall from stores about 104,000 packs of the loaves nationwide.

“We would like to apologize deeply for causing trouble to our customers and clients,” PSC said in a statement on 7 May.

The company confirmed that pieces of a black rat had contaminated two bread packs that were produced in its factory in Tokyo. It had suspended the operation of that plant’s assembly line, it added.

“We will strengthen our quality management system to ensure there won’t be a recurrence,” the PSC vowed in a statement.