Vietnam Police Arrest 12 Over Theft of 2,700 Cats
Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested 12 men accused of stealing about 2,700 cats to sell them for slaughter, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security said this week.
The suspects, aged 16 to 39, allegedly worked in small teams on motorbikes between 11 pm and 4 am, using traps and fish bait to catch pet cats in residential areas. Each team took four to 10 cats a night, police said.
The alleged ringleader, 39-year-old Luu Thanh Binh, bought the stolen cats and resold them for meat, according to investigators. He also supplied the traps.
A July raid seized 50 cats, 55 traps, scales and fur-removal machines. Thirteen of the cats were returned to their owners. The suspects have admitted to the thefts, police said.
Cat meat is legal in Vietnam, but stealing the animals is not. The case follows resident complaints about pets vanishing at night.
Cat meat is legal in Vietnam, but stealing the animals is not. Vendors need origin certificates for the meat they sell, and stolen cats were sold for about 70,000 dong, or $2.70, per kilogram.
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