Omeng: the cat that got a Chinese man arrested

Han Bin’s pet cat is a cuddly tortoiseshell he found abandoned in Vittoriosa some 12 years ago. The managing director of a Chinese clothing company based in Malta, Mr Han’s eyes light up when speaking of the cat, which he named Omeng – Chinese for EU – in 2004 to commemorate Malta’s EU membership. But Mr Han could hardly believe his cat would one day lead to the arrest of a fellow Chinese man who works as a driver with his company. The driver was arrested on Friday night while dining at a Chinese restaurant after the police received a tip-off that the white van he drives was seen collecting stray cats. Two days earlier the Animal Welfare Department had issued a public appeal for information after cat lovers said a couple in a white van were going round catching stray cats. Many on social media claimed they were being snatched for their meat or fur, whipping up a frenzy that Chinese restaurants could be to blame. The story went viral, so when a pet shop owner sold €95 worth of cat food to a Chinese man driving a white van on Friday morning it raised alarm bells. He immediately reported the matter and number plate to the police. But a flabbergasted Mr Han said his driver was...