China is cracking down on vaccine-related crimes, making dozens of arrests over the production and distribution of fake coronavirus vaccines, price gouging and illegal inoculations, the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday.
Authorities had arrested 70 suspects by Wednesday, in 21 vaccine-related cases, it added, many of which surfaced during the initial phases of rollout.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
One group of suspects made a profit of about 18 million yuan ($2.8 million) by packaging saline solution or mineral water in 58,000 doses of spurious vaccines, Xinhua said, identifying its leader, arrested last Christmas Day, only by the surname Kong.
In other cases, fake vaccines were sold at high prices, included in emergency inoculation schemes at hospitals, or smuggled abroad, it added.
China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate urged regional agencies to cooperate with police in swift and unwavering action to curb such activities, the agency said.
China, which had given 40.52 million doses of vaccine to key groups of people by Tuesday, has largely managed to bring the pandemic under control with strict lockdown, testing and tracing measures.
Read more:
China administers over 40 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines to key groups
Biden to discuss coronavirus, economy and China in Friday G7 meeting
Pandemic will not end without equal access to COVID-19 vaccines: Experts
-
Philippines to receive China-donated COVID-19 vaccines for medical staff, military
The Philippines is set to receive 600,000 doses this month of Sinovac Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine donated by China, a portion of which will be used to ... Coronavirus -
China administers over 40 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines to key groups
China has administered 40.52 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for key groups of people as of February 9, Mi Feng, spokesman for the National Health ... Coronavirus -
President Xi says China open to ‘vaccine cooperation’ with Eastern Europe
China is ready to consider “vaccine cooperation” with Central and Eastern European countries, President Xi Jinping said Tuesday in a meeting held by ... Coronavirus