Fake Drug Ring Busted

Chinese police have arrested 15 members of a gang who allegedly made and sold dozens of types of fake drugs in northeastern Heilongjiang Province.



The drugs were counterfeits of 67 types of pharmaceuticals produced by 53 companies, including vaccines against rabies and blood protein used to treat patients during surgery, the provincial Public Security Department announced on Friday.



Police seized 10,000 doses of rabies vaccine, 20,250 bottles of an injection used to treat cardiovascular disease and 211 bottles of blood protein, it said.



The gang allegedly either bought fake drugs from outside Heilongjiang and packaged them, or processed them using materials such as distilled water and starch, in Harbin, the provincial capital.



The fake drugs were mainly sold in Heilongjiang and some were sold to other provinces, the department said.



The Heilongjiang food and drug inspection bureau has issued an emergency notice to local drug authorities to search for and confiscate the fake drugs, it added.



Police are still investigating the case.



(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2007)