Police in Vietnam have arrested nine people and rescued more than 400 live cats during an operation against a criminal network suspected of stealing and trading pets.

According to authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, the network is suspected of operating for about three years in the south of the country, stealing cats from various areas and selling them as meat. During the operation, police also seized several dead animals, stored in ice, as well as dozens of other cats in various locations.

More than 400 cats were found alive and some have been reunited with their owners. However, according to animal welfare organizations, about 100 of them have since died as a result of their deteriorating condition and ordeal.

The organization "Humane World for Animals" announced that at least 40 cats have already been returned to their families, while emphasizing that the priority remains the care of the animals still being held as evidence during the investigative process.

Authorities said the suspects lured and captured the animals in various areas of southern Vietnam, and it is still being investigated whether they had legal documentation for their trade, as required by Vietnamese law.

Animal welfare organizations have called for better treatment and more humane conditions for the seized animals, while investigations into the criminal network continue.