Twelve arrested for allegedly running cat trafficking ring in Vietnam

Twelve men have been arrested in Ho Chi Minh City after allegedly confessing to the theft and sale of roughly 2,700 cats, according to Ho Chi Minh City constabulary. Police said the suspects operated in small groups on motorbikes at night, using pieces of food as bait and setting traps outside homes where they knew cats were kept, section media reported. During the operation authorities seized cat traps, fur‑removal machines, weighing scales, 55 feline traps, 14 bags, 13 mobile phones, seven motorbikes, two fur‑removing devices and 6.7 million Vietnamese dong ($257; £195). Of the 50 cats taken into custody, 13 have been returned to their owners; the remainder remain at the animal‑payment centre HavePaws. The constabulary added that each group allegedly stole an average of four to ten cats per night. Humane World for Animals estimates that about five million dogs and one million cats are captured, stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for food in Vietnam each year. Although the trade in canine and feline meat is illegal in the country, vendors are required to hold permits proving the source of the animals. Twelve suspects were brought in for questioning and, police said, they confessed to stealing approximately 2,700 cats.