Published on
16/06/2026 - 10:49 GMT+2
Vietnamese police have broken up a criminal network accused of stealing cats across the south of the country over a three-year period, with animals recovered destined for slaughter and sale as meat.
Nine suspects were detained last week on suspicion of involvement in what authorities described as a group "specialising in stealing and collecting cats", according to the Ho Chi Minh City police's official newspaper. Officers recovered more than 400 live animals alongside 80 already dead and stored on ice, as well as a further 21 cats seized from a separate location.
The operation was launched in response to a surge in pet thefts in Ho Chi Minh City. Suspects reportedly admitted to luring and trapping cats at various locations across southern Vietnam.
