Japanese police have arrested a woman suspected of illegally selling imported Chinese diet pills, marking the first police action in a health scare involving unapproved Chinese supplements. At least four people have died after taking the slimming supplements which are illegally imported from China.
Toshiko Chiashi, the 55-year-old owner of a recycling shop west of Tokyo, sold the Chinese pills to two housewives without a proper government licence, a police official said.
The government have said the number of casualties among Japanese consumers resulting from imported diet supplements had risen to 286, including the four deaths.
The figure covers those made sick by 10 different kinds of unapproved medication, most made in China and imported for personal use, and three kinds of non-medical health supplements.
Health Minister Chikara Sakaguchi has said he planned to investigate the shipping channels of slimming aids from other countries and strengthen a system to ban and collect unauthorised products.
The Japanese government is trying to analyse the chemical agents causing the problems, and is exchanging information with Chinese authorities.
AFP