China's Ministry of Public Security has detained nearly 2,000 people in a nationwide crackdown on counterfeit drugs, including some to treat cancer.

The ministry said it also seized about £115 million worth of fake medicine and false trademark logos.

A statement said the fake drugs were sold for the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, skin diseases and other "complicated illnesses", including cancer.

China has struggled in recent years to combat the production and sale of fake drugs.

The director of China's food and drug agency was executed in 2007 for approving deadly fake medicine in exchange for cash.

The government has introduced more regulations in recent years to tighten safety in its drug and food industries.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.