13 from same family jailed for fake drug trade

Thirteen suspects from one family, convicted of producing and selling counterfeit drugs, have been sentenced to jail terms ranging from nine months to 11 years, with fines, by Suining County People’s Court in Jiangsu province.

According to the court, the suspects manufactured 14 types of fake drugs, and sold them in 16 provinces and regions, including Henan, Shandong and Hebei.

The amount of money involved was up to 13 million yuan ($2.09 million).

The prosecution said the fake drugs were mainly made from glucose, starch and gelatin, which had no effect in helping to cure diseases.

In March 2012, the drug supervision management sector in Suining county seized many fake drugs from a local drug store, and reported the seizure to police.

In April, police arrested Zhao Zhansheng, a wholesaler from Henan, and following his confession arrested Li Baoxian, a suspect from the family.

In June, Jiangsu and Henan police conducted a joint operation and arrested the other suspects, who were producing a large number of fake drugs.