Police seize four linked to deadly diabetes drug in E China

JINAN, Feb. 18 -- Police in east China's

Shandong Province seized four people accused of providing packaging service for

a fake diabetes drug that killed two patients and hospitalized nine others,

local police said Wednesday.

The drug, sold under the brand "Tang Zhi Ning Jiao

Nang," was found to contain six times the normal dose of glibenclamide, a

chemical used to help lower blood sugar. Taking a dosage this sizeis potentially

fatal. Two patients in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region died

after taking the drug in January.

The suspects were all senior executives with the

Tai'an Zhongxin Lingzhi Technology and Development Co., Ltd. based in Tai'an

City, said a local public security bureau spokesman who requested anonymity.

The four included Wang Junqing, 57, board chairman,

and his daughter Wang Liping, 32, who is in charge of the company's financial

management. Also detained was Zhang Anjie, 33, Wang Liping's husband and the

general manager and Ma Yuanjie, 37, the production manager.

The spokesman said the company packaged 40,000

bottles of the drug since last September and was paid 38,000 yuan (5,500 U.S.

dollars) by Fu Qichang, the chief suspect in the case. He was seized by Shandong

police Feb. 8.

"Fu delivered the drugs to the company for the

packaging service and sent them elsewhere," the spokesman said. He told Xinhua

he had no idea where the fake drugs were produced.

Tai'an police searched drugs stores throughout the

city but didn't find the fake diabetes medicine.

On Feb. 5, Xinjiang authorities said 14,400 bottles

of the fake drug entered the region, of which 10,663 bottles had been recovered,

including 3,539 taken from customers.

The drug also showed up in northeastern Liaoning and

southwestern Sichuan provinces and was confiscated by authorities.

No one outside of Xinjiang has been reported ill

after taking the drug.