Police seize fake vaccine doses

Police in Beijing and Jiangsu and Shandong provinces seized over 80 suspects and more than 3,000 doses of counterfeit COVID-19 vaccine in a joint operation recently, Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

The police found that one of the ringleaders, surnamed Kong, and other suspects had been making fake vaccines since September by injecting saline solution into syringes, which they sold at high prices. The police have traced where the fake vaccines ended up, Xinhua said.

The Ministry of Public Security recently began a national campaign to crack down on vaccine-related crimes to maintain order in the research, development, production, circulation and use of vaccines.

It asked public security organs across the country to investigate crimes including producing and selling fake vaccines, smuggling vaccines, and illegally operating vaccine businesses or medical practices.

The ministry said public security authorities have been cracking down on all kinds of vaccine-related crimes, and will strengthen cooperation with other supervision departments to prevent such crimes.