Cat-stealing ring that took 2,700 pets for food busted by police

Vietnamese constabulary person arrested 12 men accused of stealing astir 2,700 cats during nighttime raids into residential neighborhoods, taking the pets to beryllium slaughtered for food, constabulary and authorities media said connected Monday.

Fur removal machines, feline traps and measuring scales were among items confiscated during investigations into the alleged cat-stealing ringing successful Ho Chi Minh City.

Consumption of dogs and cats is ineligible successful Vietnam, wherever galore restaurants openly advertise the meat, but vendors are required to get certificates showing the root of the animals.

Media reports person said that stolen cats tin beryllium sold astatine restaurants for astatine slightest 70,000 dong ($2.70) per kilogram.

The 12 men were arrested connected allegations of spot theft and admitted "to stealing and trafficking astir 2,700 cats of assorted types," constabulary said successful a statement.

Criminal proceedings began connected Sunday, but it was not wide erstwhile the men were detained.

The suspects divided into tiny groups and traveled by motorbike to residential neighborhoods to look for cats, the state-owned Tuoi Tre paper reported. The suspects chiefly operated from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., the outlet reported.

The web was archetypal discovered successful July, with constabulary seizing 50 unrecorded cats alongside 55 feline traps, 2 scales and 2 fur removal machines.

Each squad was estimated to person stolen betwixt 4 and 10 cats per night.

Police successful Ho Chi Minh City arrested 18 radical earlier this twelvemonth accused of being portion of 2 abstracted cat-stealing rings. In June, constabulary rescued much than 400 cats successful a large bust of a feline nutrient transgression ringing successful Ho Chi Minh City, and astatine slightest 40 were reunited with their owners. However, respective of the cats died due to the fact that of the harsh conditions they were recovered in, carnal payment groups said. 

"It was rather an overwhelming show to spot truthful galore cats seized from conscionable a azygous transport successful Vietnam's illicit feline nutrient trade," said Phuong Tham, Humane World for Animals Viet Nam state director, successful a statement astatine the time. "The bittersweet information astir this commercialized is that thousands of cats each period are being stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for nutrient crossed the country, and the destiny of astir is to extremity up astatine a slaughterhouse oregon edifice to beryllium killed and eaten."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In:

• Vietnam