Police in Vietnam's largest city have dismantled what authorities describe as a sprawling criminal network that stole thousands of cats from residential neighborhoods and sold them into the meat trade, according to state media reports.
Twelve men were arrested in connection with the operation in Ho Chi Minh City, and investigators have identified 39-year-old Luu Thanh Binh as the suspected ringleader, state media said Monday. Binh and the other eleven suspects are being investigated on theft charges.
According to investigators, Binh purchased stolen cats from a network of suppliers, stored the animals at a facility in the northern part of the city, and then resold them for meat. The suppliers, in turn, recruited individuals to scour residential streets on motorcycles during the late-night and early-morning hours, typically between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., searching for cats to trap. Each recruiter was reportedly able to capture between four and ten cats per night.
The scale of the alleged operation was substantial. The suspects told investigators they had stolen and sold approximately 2,700 cats, though police did not specify how long the ring had been operating. Authorities raided the network on July 8 and discovered roughly 50 cats along with dozens of traps at the facility, state media reported.
Following the raid, police were able to return 13 of the confiscated cats to their owners. A nonprofit animal rights group has been caring for the remaining cats while authorities work to identify and locate their owners.
The case has drawn attention to Vietnam's complex relationship with the consumption of dog and cat meat, a practice that, while not unique to the country, has been declining in recent years. In Vietnam, cat meat has traditionally been more commonly consumed in the northern part of the country, particularly among older generations.
Proponents of the practice have sometimes claimed that eating cat meat brings good luck, though there is no scientific evidence to support such beliefs. The custom has gradually waned as pet ownership has grown and urbanization has spread, with younger Vietnamese increasingly viewing dogs and cats as companion animals rather than livestock.
Animal welfare advocates have been pushing for change. In 2024, more than 250,000 people signed a petition calling for an end to Vietnam's dog and cat meat trade. The central Vietnamese city of Hoi An also made a pledge in 2021 to end the sale and consumption of dog and cat meat within its jurisdiction. These efforts reflect a broader shift in public attitudes, particularly among younger, urban populations who are more likely to keep pets in their homes.
Under Vietnamese law, dogs and cats are classified as private property, meaning that stealing them constitutes theft. Criminal prosecution generally applies when the value of the stolen property exceeds 2 million dong, a threshold that authorities say was clearly surpassed in this case given the number of animals involved.
The arrests underscore the challenges facing law enforcement in combating the illegal pet trade, which operates in the shadows and often targets beloved family animals. The overnight tactics described by investigators — motorcyclists prowling neighborhoods in the dark and snatching cats from streets and alleys — illustrate the brazen nature of the operation and the difficulties owners face in protecting their pets.
The case also highlights the growing tension between traditional practices and evolving social norms in Vietnam. As pet ownership rises and more households welcome dogs and cats as family members, the demand for stolen animals for meat has come under increasing scrutiny. The petition and the Hoi An pledge are indicators of a changing cultural landscape, one in which animal welfare concerns are gaining greater prominence.
For the residents of Ho Chi Minh City whose cats were taken, the raid offers a measure of hope, though only a small fraction of the stolen animals have been reunited with their owners. The nonprofit group caring for the rescued cats continues to seek information that could help identify where they came from, while authorities build their case against the twelve suspects.
Investigators have not released further details about the network's reach or whether additional suspects may be sought. The case remains under investigation, and the suspects are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in accordance with Vietnamese law.
The outcome of the case will be closely watched by animal rights groups and pet owners alike, as it tests the ability of Vietnam's legal system to address a crime that intersects with cultural tradition, urbanization, and the growing emotional bonds between people and their companion animals.
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