Investigation Police and Market Management officers in Hanoi seized 12 cartons filled with jars of fake Lishou weight-loss drugs on April 1.
After a tip-off, the police team raided a warehouse on 647 Kim Ma Street in Ba Dinh District. The consignment belonged to a woman named Tran Thi Thanh Ly from Ho Chi Minh City, who had hired a person named Pham Hong Pho to keep the cartons in the warehouse.
The 12 cartons contained 1,748 jars of Lishou, a Chinese weight-loss drug. The total value of the fake goods was estimated at about VND1.1 billion (US$52,800).
Moreover, the packaging of the Lishou jars had anti-fake stamp markings of the Phu Hai Medical Equipment Joint Stock Company located in Dong Da District in Hanoi. Such markings are normally issued by the Criminal Science Institute under the Ministry of Public Security to importers and distributors.
However, investigation revealed that the company had stopped importing and distributing Lishou since September 5, 2011 after the Health Ministry had ordered a recall of the product from the market, as it was found to contain an excessive amount of sibutramine (8-10 mg per tablet), which is harmful to human health.
The police team also found a lot of beauty care products with no manufacturing markings, and also Japanese made 3X Slimming Powder, a drug that turns breast nipples pink.
The police have announced they will expand their investigation and destroy all seized goods.
