Vietnam police arrest 12 over theft and sale of about 2,700 cats for meat
Version 2: A third outlet, the state agency RIA Novosti, has now reported the arrests, without adding details; the facts of the case are otherwise unchanged.
In short
Police in Ho Chi Minh City arrested 12 people accused of catching street cats and stealing domestic ones, then selling them to restaurants as meat, Kommersant reported, citing Vietnamese media and the police. Police put the number of cats involved at about 2,700 and seized 50 animals, traps and seven motorbikes. TASS reported the group kept the stolen animals in a warehouse before reselling them.
Why it matters
The case shows Vietnamese police treating the theft of domestic cats as property crime, an offence that can carry criminal liability. It also draws attention to the country's cat-meat trade, which is legal but requires restaurants to document where the meat comes from. The documents give no indication of consequences beyond enforcement in Ho Chi Minh City.
Key facts
- Police in Ho Chi Minh City arrested 12 people over catching stray cats and stealing domestic cats for sale as meat. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The police said about 2,700 cats were victims of the group. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Officers seized 50 animals, cat traps and seven motorbikes during the operation. [ 1 ]
- The group kept the stolen animals in a warehouse before reselling them, according to TASS. [ 2 ]
- Eating cat meat is legal in Vietnam, but restaurants must provide documents on the meat's origin. [ 1 ]
- Under Vietnamese law, stealing a domestic cat is treated as theft of property. [ 1 ]
- Earlier this year, Ho Chi Minh City police arrested about 18 people over cat theft for food, Kommersant reported. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The dates and locations of the arrests, and the legal status of the 12 detained people, are not given. Both documents describe the arrests without saying when they took place or what stage the case has reached.
- The detail that the stolen cats were held in a warehouse before resale comes from one outlet only. Reported by TASS alone; Kommersant does not mention a warehouse.
- Whether the restaurants that bought the cats have been investigated is not stated. Kommersant says the cats were sold to restaurants but gives no information on action against buyers.
- RIA Novosti's report adds no details beyond the arrest of a gang. Its document carries only a headline, with no article text or feed summary.