Chinese authorities seized more than US$182 million worth of counterfeit pharmaceuticals and detained nearly 2,000 suspects involved in their distribution last month, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a statement by China’s public security minister issued on Sunday. The counterfeit pharmaceuticals included drugs usually prescribed for patients with diabetes, high blood pressure and rabies, and potentially included harmful toxic substances, the statement said. The crackdown is said to be the largest since the government uncovered a US$30 million drug scandal in November 2011. Despite efforts from public security officials to clamp down on the production of fake drugs, pinning down criminals is proving increasingly difficult. “Criminals are coming up with new schemes, becoming craftier and better able to deceive,” the public security statement said.
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