More than 420 pet cats destined for slaughter have been rescued after police in Vietnam dismantled an alleged feline trafficking ring.
Nine people were arrested for their alleged involvement in what Ho Chi Minh City Police described as a "criminal group specialising in stealing and collecting cats" bound for the feline meat trade, according to local media reports.
Consuming cat and dog meat is legal in the country, but vendors must have a permit stating the animals' origins.
More than 400 live felines and around 80 dead cats preserved on ice were discovered during a raid at Trúc Quỳnh vehicle depot in Mỹ Hạnh Commune, Tây Ninh Province. A further 21 cats were found at another facility in Linh Xuân Ward in Ho Chi Minh City.
Around 40 cats were reclaimed by their owners, according to animal welfare charity Humane World for Animals Viet Nam. Over 260 cats remained in police custody – including kittens born after rescue and several pregnant females.
The charity said “a number” of cats had died following their ordeal.
The alleged criminal ring was tracked down on June 11 following a police investigation into a spate of pet thefts in the country’s largest city, according to local media reports.
The group had been operating for around three years, stealing the cats before selling them to traders every two to three days for VNĐ70,000 per kg (NZ$4.50 per kg).
Humane World for Animals Viet Nam country director Phuong Pham said many of the cats appeared "thin and weak, and it was clear to see they had been through a physical and mental ordeal from which now thankfully they have a chance to recover".
Pham said thousands of felines were "being stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for meat" across Vietnam every month.
"The fate of most is to end up at a slaughterhouse or restaurant to be killed and eaten.
"Thankfully these survivors escaped that fate, but this large seizure and the swift actions of the police are a welcome step in the crackdown that is badly needed on this trade."
An estimated 5 million dogs and 1 million cats are trafficked for meat in Vietnam every year, Humane World says.
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