Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested 12 men suspected of stealing and reselling thousands of cats, probably for meat, according to state media; the alleged leader, 39-year-old Luu Thanh Binh, is accused of buying and holding the animals, while small motorbike teams trapped four to ten cats a night, and suspects reportedly admitted to about 2,700 thefts. Raids in June and July freed roughly 450 cats, and some have been returned to their owners. Eating cat and dog meat is not illegal in Vietnam if sellers are licensed, but trading stolen animals is a crime, and opposition to the trade is growing as more people see the animals as pets.