Le Duy The was driving a five-seat car in Quang Tri Province as police requested him to pull over for an inspection. The man refused and instead accelerated the car.
However, he was stopped by the police. Checking the car, police found a tiger weighing over 200 kg in an iron cage.
The, 41, said he was hired to transport the tiger from Quang Binh to Quang Tri, two neighboring provinces, for a payment of VND3 million ($122).
The tiger was still alive when The was arrested. Police have launched an investigation.
According to the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), a non-profit organization, as of June 2022, there were a total of 372 tigers recorded living in captivity in Vietnam, with 297 of these tigers at 17 privately owned farms and zoos. The remainder are kept at four government zoos and rescue centers.
Most of the tigers kept at farms were to be traded for their bones or skin.