Fake COVID-19 vaccines illegally made in China were distributed to other unnamed countries, according to Chinese authorities.
Suspects arrested were accused of earning nearly $2.78 million in illicit profits, per The Epoch Times.
Chinese state media Xinhua reported 21 vaccine-related cases were being investigated as of Feb. 10, with 70 arrests.
The report said suspects collected huge profits during the early stages of China's rollout through manufacturing and selling fake vaccines at high costs, and inoculating groups without authorization.
Some of the fake vaccines reportedly were transported from Tianjin in the north to Shenzhen in the southern Guangdong province, then smuggled to other countries via Hong Kong.
Xinhua did not specify which countries received the fake vaccines.
Although suspects claimed their vaccines were "genuine COVID-19 shots obtained through internal channels," authorities said criminal rings allegedly bought prefilled syringes or packaged saline solution or mineral water into fake vaccines.
Illegal emergency inoculation centers were set up by the suspects, who advertised on social media.
Authorities said suspects also forged documents to appear legitimate.
In one case, more than 200 people received about 500 doses of fake shots, resulting in criminals earning a profit of nearly $85,000 as of December 2020.
Another scheme involved inoculating citizens through emergency vaccination programs at hospitals during a period when only high-risk populations were suppose to get the vaccine. Suspects charged money for access to real vaccine shots.
Lu Jun, co-founder of the nonprofit Beijing Yirenping Center, told Radio Free Asia that officially-approved organizations in China often were involved in illegal activity.
"Either licensed manufacturers produced sub-standard vaccines, or governmental anti-epidemic agencies committed irregularities or even illegal operations in the process of vaccine procurement, distribution, and transportation," Lu said.
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