12 men arrested for stealing 2,700 cats for meat in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City police arrested 12 men on Sunday who allegedly operated a citywide ring to steal and resell approximately 2,700 cats for meat.
In Ho Chi Minh City, 12 men have been arrested for allegedly stealing over 2,700 cats for meat, according to prosecutors. The 39-year-old Luu Thanh Binh is believed to be the ringleader of this network of thieves. Authorities claim Binh and his 11 accomplices purchased live cats from suppliers, stored them in a facility in Thoi An Ward, and resold them for consumption.
The suspects formed multiple theft groups across different communes and wards on the city outskirts, operating during the early hours of the night to avoid detection. They used homemade traps or equipment bought from Binh to capture between four and ten cats per night, then handed them over to the leader. During a raid in July, police seized 50 cats, 55 traps, and two scales, with the 12 suspects admitting to stealing and selling around 2,700 cats in total.
Binh is also suspected of purchasing cats from independent sellers. Thirteen of the seized cats have been returned to their owners, while the remaining animals are being cared for at the HAVEPAWS Social Center until their owners can be located. Vietnamese law considers dogs and cats as private property, making their theft a crime under the penal code, though prosecution typically only occurs if the animal's value exceeds VND2 million (US$77).
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