Shanghai police have uncovered more than 400 kilograms of fake Tamiflu pills, Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau announced yesterday. Thirteen people have been arrested.

The investigation showed that the gang made more than 1.6 million yuan (US$200,000) by selling the drugs on the Internet and through other channels to Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Guangdong provinces and countries in Southeast Asia. Relevant departments are still trying to retrieve the fake pills.

Early this year, the bureau received an order from the Ministry of Public Security to co-operate on busting an inter-province fake medicine ring. They later found a man named Wang Xun, allegedly one of the main suspects.

It is said that the ring, led by Wang, rented two workshops in Luodian County of Baoshan District and Waigang County of Jiading District under the name of Shanghai Xidi Pharmaceutical Company and produced fake Tamiflu around the clock from November 2005 to May this year.

This March the ministry planned a joint raid in Shanghai, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jiangsu and Guangdong provinces. On May 24 and 25, 11 suspects including Wang Xun were arrested and the two workshops were shut down. More than 400 kilograms of Tamiflu pills and 46 tons of raw materials were found.

The ingredients of the pill were not released because of fears it would be copied, but it is said to be extremely volatile as the method of production can easily cause explosions. Experts from work safety inspection, environment protection and food and drug departments have taken steps to ensure the confiscated goods are safe.

Two other suspects were recently arrested with fake pills by Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau in Guizhou and Guangdong provinces.

(China Daily August 30, 2006)