China sets up food, drug crime unit

China has set up a new Food- and Drug-Related Crime Investigation Bureau in a bid to try to shore up the country’s food and medicines supply chain.

The new unit – part of the Ministry of Public Security – was set up earlier this month and will be led by Lyu Wuqin, former director of the ministry's auditing division, according to a China Daily report. Counterfeit food and drug products will be a primary focus as the new specialist team gathers evidence for enforcement operations and prosecutions.

Ministry figures show that between January and October last year, China’s police tackled 21,000 crimes involving fake or substandard food and drugs, as well as environmental pollution, and arrested 26,000 suspects.