Vietnam busts ring accused of stealing 2,700 cats for slaughter

HANOI: Police in Vietnam have arrested 12 people accused of stealing 2,700 cats and selling them for slaughter in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Public Security said this week.

The suspects, aged between 16 and 39, were arrested on suspicion of stealing the cats with the intention of selling them for food.

The men were found with cat traps, cages and fur-removal equipment, according to a ministry statement

Police rescued dozens of cats during the raid

Cat meat dishes are still served in some parts of Vietnam, particularly in rural areas, where they are sometimes marketed as "mini tiger" and believed by some consumers to have medicinal properties

The arrests followed complaints from residents about the nighttime disappearance of their pet cats, the statement said.

Authorities identified Luu Thanh Binh, 39, as the alleged ringleader and distributor. Investigators said he also bought live cats and resold them to customers seeking cat meat

To supply the operation, Binh allegedly worked with several accomplices who recruited younger people to capture cats in residential neighbourhoods. Police said he also supplied traps used in the thefts

The group operated mainly between 11pm and 4am, using fish bait and traps placed outside homes with pet cats. Captured animals were quickly collected and transported for sale, police said

Police have returned 13 of the cats to their owners and said the remaining animals were being cared for by animal welfare group HavePaws while authorities continued efforts to identify their owners. - REUTERS