Shanghai drug authorities raided a local storehouse full of old medication collected from residents and illegal drug dealers to be sold in other provinces.

The raid took place in a building on Datong Road in Zhabei District recently. Officials said they seized 40 packages of various western medicines and traditional Chinese medicines worth some 600,000 yuan (US$72,289), making it one of the biggest drug seizures in the city's history.

Drug authorities have passed the case to the district police for further investigation. One suspected drug dealer, a man identified as Zhang from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, is currently being held by police.

"The medicines were collected from local residents and other dealers. We don't know whether there are any fake drugs. Even if the medicines are real, they are still dangerous to those who take them," said Sheng Guoyuan, director of the inspection department at the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration.

"Furthermore, some of the drugs have expired and some are in poor quality due to improper preservation."

FDA Officials received tips early this month, claiming that someone rented rooms in a building owned by Shanghai Research Institute of Applied Electronic Technology to store illegal medicines. The drugs were stored in three rooms on the third, fourth and fifth floors of the building.

Zhabei District FDA officials and police took action last Tuesday morning.

Zhang was caught in room 305, where officials found a large stash of various kinds of drugs and a notebook with records of his business transactions.

There were also a large amount of plastic packages and a small packing machine that officials think was used to repackage the medication.

"The raid was very successful. We want to find out whether there is a criminal ring involved in the case and hunt down more criminals," said Jiang Guohua, an official with the Zhabei District FDA. "The government should tighten the administration of rooms and houses rented to questionable people. People or firms also should take responsibility if they are found renting space to criminals."

Source: Shanghai Daily