After an extended investigation, the Hồ Chí Minh City Police Department has busted a major cat theft and distribution ring that operated across multiple southern provinces.
As Thanh Niên reports, the Criminal Bureau of the HCMC Police Department recently announced the result of a special campaign targeting a group of interprovincial pet kidnappers that have stolen, trapped, and trafficked cats for the past three years.
The police arrested and questioned 10 suspects with direct involvement in the ring. They allegedly organized kidnappings of pet cats and trappings of stray cats in Saigon and neighboring provinces and stored the animals at home. Once every two or three days, they would deliver the cats in cages to Lê Huỳnh Bá, a middleman at a rate of VND70,000 per kilogram.
Photo by HCMC Police via Tuổi Trẻ.
Bá then would transport the cats to a gathering point at a garage in Tây Ninh Province, northwest of Saigon, before they were distributed to other sellers. Upon investigating the Tây Ninh garage, HCMC detectives discovered about 400 cats in 45 cages and 4 styrofoam boxes containing frozen cat carcasses.
An additional 21 live cats were found after officers searched another hideout in Linh Xuân Ward. In total, the campaign discovered over 500 cats, marking the bust the biggest of its kind so far in Saigon. Unfortunately, a number of cats have passed away.
Zoo staff tagging cats to assist with searching efforts.
However, after the cat theft ring was unraveled, the remaining cats that are still alive have been temporarily sheltered at the Tăng Nhơn Phú Police Station so owners of lost cats can look for their lost kitty friends, according to Tuổi Trẻ.
Since the news broke on local media, vets and animal lovers from across the city have volunteered to help the station to take care of the hundreds of cats recovered from the ring. Saigoneers have also sent kibbles, wet food, litter, medicine, and cages to assist with the operation.
Many cats are stressed, dehydrated, and malnourished, requiring IV fluids.
According to Nguyễn Quỳnh Thiện Hảo, head of the Saigon Zoo’s veterinary department, zoo staff volunteered to help immediately after reading about the police campaign online. While other Saigon vets focus on treating vulnerable and sick cats, the zoo team has been helping with tagging, categorizing, and profiling the felines to streamline search and rehome efforts.
Congratulations to No. 103 for being united with its parents, who traveled all the way from Vĩnh Lộc, Bình Chánh to visit.
Posted on an album of on the zoo’s official Facebook page, the profiles come with ID numbers, distinctive features, and photos to help owners better recognize their furry friends. While the police have not released official data on how many have been recovered or rehomed, reports on social media show families as far as An Giang in the Mekong Delta reuniting with their lost cat, which illustrates how extensive the cat theft network was.
Photos via Facebook page Thảo Cầm Viên Saigon.
To search for your lost cat, have a look at the Saigon Zoo’s cat profile archive here and visit the Tăng Nhơn Phú Police Station at 9 Xa Lộ Hà Nội, Thủ Đức City during business hours.
