On 21/5, Nguyen The Cuong, 49, was prosecuted and temporarily detained by the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Police Department for violating regulations on protecting endangered, precious, and rare animals.

Nguyen The Cuong at the investigation agency. *Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Police*

The arrest followed a raid on 13/5, when the Economic Police Department, in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department and other relevant units, inspected a house in Dong Thanh commune, Hoc Mon district.

Inside the residence, authorities discovered 46 wild animals being kept, including: 40 civets, one Siamese fireback pheasant, one common pheasant, and four peafowl (three blue and one white).

According to appraisal results, the three blue peafowl (scientific name: Pavo muticus) are classified as endangered, precious, and rare wild animals belonging to Group IB, a category under priority protection.

Police inspect Nguyen The Cuong's wild animal breeding facility. *Video: Ho Chi Minh City Police*

Cuong admitted to purchasing the peafowl in 2/2021. Despite possessing an inspection report and a forest product declaration from the Forest Protection Department, he failed to register them with the City Forest Protection Department. When new Government regulations came into effect in late 2021, elevating this peafowl species to Group IB—which strictly prohibits their breeding, keeping, or trading—Cuong continued to keep them until police discovered them.

The investigation is expanding to clarify the origin of the wild animals and to verify the issuance of forest product certificates by involved individuals and units.

A peafowl individual, an endangered, precious, and rare wild animal. *Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Police*

This action by the investigative agency is part of the Ho Chi Minh City Police's 45-day intensive campaign to crack down on all types of crime.

Since early May, authorities have uncovered numerous large-scale illegal wild animal breeding and trading facilities and individuals. Public awareness campaigns have also led many citizens to voluntarily surrender illegally kept animals for rescue by the forest protection agency.

The Ho Chi Minh City Economic Police Department advises citizens not to arbitrarily hunt, trade, or illegally possess wild animals. The breeding and trading of such animals must strictly comply with legal regulations and require permits from competent authorities. Violations can face penalties of up to 15 years in prison.

Quoc Thang