Cat meat trade: 2,700 cats stolen in Vietnam for meat; police bust suspected theft ring

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested 12 people accused of running a cat-theft and trafficking operation in which about 2,700 cats were allegedly stolen and sold for meat. The cats were reportedly taken from residential neighbourhoods at night, with some eventually destined for slaughter, CBS News reported.The numbers are startling. But the details of how the alleged network operated make the case even more unsettling for pet owners.According to Vietnamese police, the suspects worked in small groups and travelled through residential areas on motorcycles between about 11pm and 4am. They allegedly used traps to catch cats that were roaming outdoors. Each group was said to capture around four to 10 cats a night before handing them over to a buyer.The operation came to light after police began investigating reports of pets disappearing from neighbourhoods in and around Ho Chi Minh City. Investigators eventually identified a network allegedly led by 39-year-old Luu Thanh Binh, who police say bought live cats and stored them before reselling them. VnExpress reported that the suspects admitted to stealing and trading approximately 2,700 cats, although authorities have not established exactly how long the operation had been running.For some families, the raid has brought a painful possibility: that a missing pet may not simply have wandered away.Authorities have so far identified the owners of 13 of the rescued cats and returned the animals to them. The remaining cats were moved to a social centre while efforts continued to identify their owners.The case also shines a light on a complicated issue in Vietnam. Consumption of dog and cat meat remains legal in the country, although sellers are required to have documentation showing the animals' origin. The legality of the meat trade, however, does not make the theft of somebody's pet legal. Vietnamese law treats dogs and cats as property, meaning stealing them can amount to property theft under certain circumstances.And this is not the first major cat-meat case to emerge from Ho Chi Minh City this year.Earlier this year, 400 cats were rescuedIn June, police rescued more than 400 cats in another operation targeting an alleged cat-meat crime ring. More than 500 cats were seized in total when animals found at different locations were counted. Some had been stolen pets, and more than 40 were eventually reunited with their families. Several cats died because of the harsh conditions in which they had been kept, according to animal welfare groups. The Associated Press report described the case as a reminder of the scale of the country's cat-meat trade.The June operation revealed just how quickly a pet can disappear into a larger supply chain. Police found dozens of cages containing live cats as well as containers holding dead animals. Animal welfare groups said some of the rescued cats were pregnant, with kittens later born while the mothers were in police custody.The latest investigation therefore raises a question that goes beyond one criminal network: what happens when an animal that is considered a beloved family pet in one home becomes a commodity somewhere else?For the families whose cats have been returned, the answer is painfully personal. They get to take a missing member of the household home again.For others, the search is still continuing.Get the latest movie news, reviews, and celebrity updates. Download the TOI App.