Lai was arrested on two occasions. The first time was in 1923, because of the "Pacification Police Incident," and the second was in 1942, when he was detained without charge.
賴和一生兩次被捕下獄，第一次在一九二三年，因「治警事件」下獄，第二次則在一九四二年因「莫須有」罪名被捕。