Seven elderly men in the Japanese town of Tsuruoka (350 km north of Tokyo) were hospitalised with tetrodotoxin poisoning after consuming raw puffer and grilled puffer testicles.
The seven men, aged 55"69, were public welfare volunteers and a town head partying in an upscale restaurant after a public welfare meeting, according to a Tsuruoka police spokesperson.
They complained of numbness in the hands and legs - classic signs of tetrodotoxin poisoning - after consuming the fish prepared by an unauthorized chef.
The restaurant, "Kibunya," was unlicensed to prepare and serve puffer, a delicacy in Japan known as fugu, and owner Iwao Aizawa, was being questioned by police on the suspicion of professional negligence resulting in injuries.
Aizawa had offered the victims the fugu as off-the-menu specials for the winter season.