Vietnam Police Seize 500 Cats and Arrest 9 in Ho Chi Minh City Meat-Ring Bust
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 17
Vietnam Police Seize 500 Cats and Arrest 9 in Ho Chi Minh City Meat-Ring Bust
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 17
Summary
More than 500 cats were seized in last week’s Ho Chi Minh City operation, with at least 40 already reunited with owners after police dismantled an alleged cat-meat theft ring.
Police found about 400 live cats in 45 cages, roughly 80 dead cats in ice-filled containers, and another 20 live cats at a separate site; suspects said they had trapped and collected cats across southern Vietnam for three years.
Several rescued cats later died from the harsh conditions they were found in, while veterinarians and volunteers set up round-the-clock care at a temporary rescue center run by the city’s criminal police division.
Animal welfare groups said the case exposed the scale of Vietnam’s legal cat-meat trade, where meat sells for about 70,000 dong ($2.70) a kilogram and thousands of cats are allegedly stolen each month.