15 involved in unqualified rolled steel scandal detained in Guangdong

Fifteen people allegedly involved in producing and selling unqualified rolled steel in Jieyang city of South China's Guangdong province were detained by police following the exposure of the case by a television program, according to local police.

Additionally, a large amount of rolled steel in a factory also was confiscated after a joint investigation by local market supervision and police authorities in Jieyang.

According to China Central Television's annual consumer rights gala on Monday evening, over 10,000 metric tons of unqualified steel annually made by a factory in Jieyang was sent to construction sites in several cities, including Dongguan, Chaozhou and Jieyang.

The unqualified rolled steel, thin and long in shape, was made from steel waste after being simply heated, stretched and cut, according to sources with the TV program.

Premiering in conjunction with International Consumer Rights Day, the annual TV gala is intended to expose business misconduct and help consumers protect their rights.

More efforts will be made to learn where the unqualified steel has been sent, according to sources with the local joint investigation force.