Chinese police bust cross-border fake drug network

HAIKOU, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- A total of 77 suspects have been detained in relation to a cross-border fake drug manufacturing and sales network, according to the food and drug authorities in south China's Hainan Province.

As of Nov. 25, police and drug supervisors had seized over 1.29 million pills in 83 types of drug, valued at more than 200 million yuan (about 30 million U.S. dollars), said the Hainan food and drug administration.

The drugs had been sold to 24 provincial regions in China and to countries and regions including Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Hong Kong.

A total of 18 production sites were closed down, the administration said.

In September last year, Hainan food and drug administration started to investigate after they found six stores were suspected of selling a fake traditional Chinese medicine.

Investigators found the drugs were mainly manufactured in Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Police departments in Hainan, Guangxi and Guangdong carried out a joint operation to catch the suspects. Enditem