Police in Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam catch three men red-handed stealing dogs, seizing 24 dead canines. Photo: Thanh Thao

The patrol team discovered four suspicious individuals riding two motorbikes near the An Long-Tan Quoi ferry area during a routine crime prevention operation on Tuesday.

The suspects were carrying four large black bags, arousing the officers’ suspicions.

When ordered to stop, the group attempted to flee.

Officers managed to capture three of them, while one suspect escaped.

A search of the bags revealed 24 dead dogs, weighing a total of 325 kilograms.

Police also confiscated a variety of tools believed to have been used in the thefts, including two homemade spear guns, two electrified spears, two electric shock devices, batteries, electrical wires, and a can of pepper spray.

The three detained suspects were identified as Le Minh Hung, 30, from An Binh Ward, Nguyen Thanh Cong, 20, and Nguyen Van Nhi, 27, both from Binh Thanh Commune.

During questioning, they confessed to stealing dogs from residents across eight communes and wards in the province.

Their crime spree ended when the group reached An Long Commune, where they were detected and captured by the patrol team.