Ho Chi Minh City police bust major cat theft ring, rescue over 500 cats

Ho Chi Minh City police have cracked a large-scale cat theft ring that operated for three years, causing public outrage. The Criminal Police Department (PC02) established a special case to dismantle the group, which specialized in stealing and buying cats across provinces.

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During investigations, police identified and brought in several suspects, including Nguyen Thanh Tuan, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, Nguyen Thanh Tu, and others. These individuals confessed to trapping and stealing cats, then selling them to a "middleman" named Le Huynh Ba for about 70,000 Vietnamese dong per kilogram. They operated for three years, accumulating stolen cats every two to three days before selling them.

Following the suspects' confessions, police raided a transport hub in Tay Ninh province, seizing 45 cages containing approximately 400 live cats and four styrofoam boxes with about 80 dead, iced cats. A search at another location in Ho Chi Minh City yielded an additional 21 cats. In total, over 500 cats were rescued.

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The police are continuing to gather evidence and question suspects to clarify their roles and methods. They are also pursuing other involved individuals. The Ho Chi Minh City Police announced they are committed to fighting property crimes to ensure public safety and urged victims of cat theft to contact the Criminal Police Department to identify their pets and assist the investigation.

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