Cat-stealing ring accused of taking 2,700 pets from homes to be slaughtered for food in Vietnam

October 5, 2026 / 6:52 AM EDT / CBS/AFP

Vietnamese police have arrested 12 men accused of stealing nearly 2,700 cats during night raids into residential neighborhoods, taking the pets to be slaughtered for food, police and state media said on Monday.

Fur removal machines, cat traps and measuring scales were among items confiscated during investigations into the alleged cat-stealing ring in Ho Chi Minh City.

Consumption of dogs and cats is legal in Vietnam, where many restaurants openly advertise the meat, but vendors are required to obtain certificates showing the origin of the animals.

Media reports have said that stolen cats can be sold at restaurants for at least 70,000 dong ($2.70) per kilogram.

The 12 men were arrested on allegations of property theft and admitted "to stealing and trafficking approximately 2,700 cats of various types," police said in a statement.

Criminal proceedings began on Sunday, but it was not clear when the men were detained.

The suspects split into small groups and traveled by motorbike to residential neighborhoods to look for cats, the state-owned Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. The suspects mainly operated from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., the outlet reported.

The network was first discovered in July…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/