Vietnamese police arrest 12 people suspected of prowling city streets at night, snatching cats for meat: NPR
A cat is treated at an animal rights group’s rescue center after police raided an operation stealing and selling cats for meat in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 17, 2026.
A humane world for animals/AP
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A humane world for animals/AP
HANOI, Vietnam — Police in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City have arrested 12 men suspected of operating a citywide ring that stole and resold about 2,700 cats for meat, Vietnamese state media said.
Police identified Luu Thanh Binh, 39, as the suspected ring leader. He and 11 others were under investigation for theft, state media said Monday.
Investigators said Binh bought stolen cats, kept them at a facility north of the city and resold them as meat. He worked with contractors who recruited others to ride motorcycles through residential neighborhoods between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., chasing cats and trapping four to 10 cats each night.
Consumption of dog and cat meat is not unique to Vietnam and is practiced in parts of Asia, although it is not a common practice. In Vietnam, cat meat is traditionally consumed more in the north, among older generations.
This practice has declined with increased pet ownership and urbanization, and younger Vietnamese are more likely to view dogs and cats as pets.
By 2024, more than 250,000 people have signed a petition calling for an end to the dog and cat meat trade in Vietnam. Hoi An City has also pledged in 2021 to end the sale and consumption of dog and cat meat.
Some believe that eating cat meat brings good luck, although there is no scientific evidence for this claim.
Police raided the network on July 8 and found around 50 cats and dozens of traps, state media reported.
The suspects told investigators they stole and sold approximately 2,700 cats, according to reports. Police did not say how long the operation had been going on.
Police returned 13 of the cats confiscated during the raid to their owners. A nonprofit animal rights group cared for the others while authorities sought to identify their owners.
According to Vietnamese law, dogs and cats are considered private property and stealing them is considered theft. Criminal prosecution generally applies when the value of stolen goods exceeds 2 million dong ($77).
In another raid in June, police said they rescued more than 400 cats. At least 40 of them were reunited with their owners, but dozens of dead cats were found packed in ice.
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