Rampaging gang steals 50 dogs in four months for meat

Locals Nguyen Van Dieu, 46, Nguyen Van Diep, 24, and Nguyen Van Cuong, 26, face charges of "property theft," the police said Sunday.

(From L) Nguyen Van Dieu, Nguyen Van Diep and Nguyen Van Cuong at a police station in Nghe An Province, April 11, 2024. Photo by police

They started their spree at the end of 2023, often riding motorcycles with fake license plates and using electric shock guns to steal dogs in various districts and Vinh City.

It would take them only 10 seconds to subdue a dog using the stun guns, they said.

If detected by local people or law enforcement, they would use slingshots to fight back and flee.

Dozens of officers from the Criminal Police Unit conducted an operation last Thursday to apprehend them.

They ambushed and caught the three men in the act of stealing dogs.

Electric guns and a number of tools that are used to steal dogs from a group in Nghe An. Photo by police

They confiscated nine dogs weighing a total 156 kg, a motorcycle with a fake license plate, a homemade stun gun, a slingshot, and several other items.

They determined that, over the course of four months, the gang had caught and sold animals weighing a total of more than two tons.

Duyet has three previous convictions for "property theft" and "robbery" while Cuong has a conviction for "property theft."

Dog theft is driven by demand for dog meat.

In Vietnam, dog theft is typically treated as property theft without special consideration for the animals' welfare or emotional distress caused to the animals and their owners.

The penalties are typically fines or imprisonment, depending on the value of the stolen property and other aspects of the crime.

Some urban areas, such as Hanoi and Hoi An City, have called for a gradual end to dog meat consumption, citing animal welfare concerns and the desire to improve the city's international image.

But enforcing such changes remains a challenge.