Chinese authorities have detained 80 people on suspicion of producing counterfeit coronavirus vaccines.
They are alleged to have been bottling saline solution to sell as vaccine since September, state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday.
A total of 3,000 vaccine doses were confiscated, with raids taking place in several locations across the country.
According to the South China Morning Post, people caught making and selling fake vaccines can be fined between 15 and 50 times the value of the product.
China has developed a number of its own vaccines, with Beijing setting a goal of vaccinating 50 million people by mid-February.
The Beijing government has set a goal of vaccinating 50 million people by mid-February.
