"These bogus military institutions advertised fake drugs in newspapers, magazines and on websites, posing a serious threat to public health and to the image of the People's Liberation Army," said the Health Department of the PLA general Logistics Department.

Military medical institutions were prohibited from advertising any drugs by law. "All drugs ads in the name of military institutions are fraudulent," the department said.

The military health department and State Post Bureau have jointly issued an order banning military medical institutions setting up post boxes in order to block channels for mail-order fake drugs.

In May, seven people forging subscriptions, seals, receipts and drug labels purporting to come from military medical institutions were seized in Beijing. Fake drugs worth of 150,000 yuan (18,750 U.S. dollars) were confiscated in the largest such case of fraud yet.