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China seizes Viagra in crackdown on fake drugs
2007-07-25
A Chinese woman looks at a wide selection of toothpastes on a shelve at a mall in Beijing, China, in this July 12, 2007 file photo. Chinese police have cracked criminal networks that made fake toothpaste sold in the country, as well as counterfeit Viagra, Tamiflu and anti-malaria drugs which were shipped to Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe. The busts were announced as China is trying to persuade the world it is serious about cracking down on dangerous and phony drugs and food, following a slew of bans or recalls on Chinese exports - from toothpaste to seafood - found tainted with high levels of toxins and chemicals. |
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Police in China seized one ton of fake Viagra pills during a series of raids on gangs that were making counterfeit drugs to sell domestically and overseas, state press reported Wednesday. Aside from the the popular anti-impotency drug, fake versions of Tamiflu, which is being stockpiled around the world for a potential bird flu pandemic, and anti-malarial medications were uncovered, Xinhua news agency said. Four gangs were busted making the drugs during a two-year crackdown that involved Chinese and US authorities, as well as Interpol, Xinhua said, citing the Ministry of Public Security. The announcement of the busts come after the former head of China's food and drug watchdog Zheng Xiaoyu was executed this month for taking bribes to approve medicines, some of which were unsafe. The one ton of Viagra was uncovered in China's southern Guangdong province that borders Hong Kong following a raid late last year made in co-operation with US law authorities, Xinhua said. The Tamiflu raids in May also took place after acting on intelligence from US authorities, resulting in the arrests of 19 suspects. Xinhua said the gang had been trying to sell the Tamiflu into the United States via the Internet. Few other details of the busts, or the expected trials of the suspects, were revealed. No reason was given as to why the information on the raids was released so long after the events. But following the execution of the former head of the drug watchdog, China has ramped up a public relations campaign to reassure the world it is doing all it can to combat the problem of substandard and fake medicines. The nation also consistently vows to better work with its global partners to end the rampant pirating in China of all kinds of goods, from software and movies to clothing and auto parts.
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