HCMC police bust network trading stolen dogs and cats

According to HCMC Police newspaper, officers from An Hoi Tay Ward, working with the city’s criminal police, had monitored suspicious activity in the area for some time. They identified a local man, N.V.T., born in 1974, as a key buyer of dogs and cats of unclear origin, who frequently conducted nighttime transactions without proper documentation.

At around 3:20 a.m. on Oct. 15, officers raided a suspicious site and caught 15 individuals allegedly gathering and trading stolen animals. Police confiscated 21 cats, 26 traps, and various tools believed to be used to capture and traffic pets. All suspects and evidence were taken to the ward police station for further investigation, Tien Phong reported.

Preliminary findings indicate that N.V.T. acted as a central buyer of stolen dogs and cats across the city, reselling them to unlicensed eateries and processing facilities for profit. Several suspects admitted using traps, tranquilizers, or electric stun devices to capture animals at night before selling them to T.

Police said they are expanding the investigation to identify additional buyers and networks involved in the illicit trade. Authorities urged residents not to purchase pets of unknown origin and to promptly report suspected pet theft, transport, or illegal sales to the nearest police station for timely action.

Under Vietnamese law, pets such as dogs and cats are considered property of their owners. Accordingly, stealing a dog or cat may constitute the crime of "theft of property" under the penal code.

Vietnam has no single law that expressly bans the dog- and cat-meat trade, but moving, buying/selling, or slaughtering dogs and cats can still violate public-health, animal-health, trade, and transport regulations.