(THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A 43-year-old fruit seller raped a beautician at her salon after she was treated to a durian laced with sleeping pills in Taichung, Taiwan.

Guang Ming Daily reported that the man had earlier crushed two pills into powder before smearing it on the durian.

He then asked the woman to try it on the pretext that a customer had complained that the fruit was bitter.

He left the shop but returned several hours later and found the beautician feeling dizzy and lying on a sofa at the salon.

He then forced himself on her as she was too weak to put up a struggle.

Before leaving the salon, he took her to the bathroom to wash up.

The beautician's sister then came to the salon after she failed to reach her on the handphone.

She was shocked to find her sibling in a dishevelled state.

On Monday (June 6), the man was sentenced to eight years and six months' jail for his act, which was committed on May 11 last year.