Twelve Arrested in Vietnam Cat Trafficking Ring
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested twelve men suspected of stealing and selling approximately 2,700 cats, with alleged plans to slaughter them for meat.
Twelve men have been arrested in Vietnam in connection with an alleged cat trafficking ring responsible for the theft and sale of around 2,700 felines, Ho Chi Minh City police announced.
The suspects are accused of roaming residential areas at night in small groups on motorbikes to steal pets, using bait such as fish and traps placed outside homes known to house cats. During the investigation, police seized cat traps, fur removal machines, and weighing scales.
According to a police statement published in the Ho Chi Minh City police department's official newspaper, each group allegedly stole an average of four to 10 cats per night. On July 8, authorities confiscated 50 cats, weighing scales, cat traps, mobile phones, motorbikes, fur-removing machines, and a significant amount of Vietnamese dong.
The 12 suspects, upon questioning, reportedly confessed to stealing approximately 2,700 cats. Of the 50 cats seized, 13 have been reunited with their owners, while the remainder are being cared for at the animal welfare center HavePaws.
The consumption of dog and cat meat is legal in Vietnam, with many restaurants openly offering it on their menus. However, vendors are required to possess permits verifying the origin of the animals.
An estimated five million dogs and one million cats are captured, stolen, trafficked, and slaughtered for meat in Vietnam annually, according to the animal protection organization Humane World for Animals.