Suspects detained in Vietnam over theft of 2,700 cats for sale as meat - PHOTO
Police in Ho Chi Minh City have detained 12 people suspected of stealing and subsequently reselling about 2,700 cats for human consumption.
This was reported by the Vietnamese portal VnExpress.
According to the publication, during questioning the detainees confessed to stealing the animals and selling them. They are currently charged in a theft case and are under investigation. As law enforcement officers established, the suspects kept the stolen cats in a warehouse and then resold them for meat.
At the same time, it has not yet been established how long the alleged criminal group had been operating.
VnExpress also reports that on July 8 police carried out a raid in one of Ho Chi Minh City's districts and found 50 cats. Thirteen of them were returned to their owners, while the remaining animals were handed over to a social center for temporary keeping.
Under Vietnamese law, dogs and cats have the status of private property. For this reason, their theft can be classified as theft of property and entail criminal liability. According to the portal, a criminal case is opened if the value of the stolen animal exceeds $77.
