Police break up fake cancer drug gang

"According to initial information, the profits of the suspected gang members totalled about half a billion rubles, and harm to pharmaceutical companies exceeded 600 million rubles," the Interior Ministry said in a press release.

Two gang members were arrested. They face up to 10 years in jail if convicted.

The group had been active in the southern Rostov region for two years, police said.

They imported drugs with expired use by dates from Ukraine to the town of Shakhty, where they then re-packed them. Some medicines were made by the gang themselves, police said.

Each ampoule of the fake drugs is worth between 5,000 rubles ($154) and 20,000 rubles ($617).

The drugs are believed to have been sold to pharmacies and hospitals in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other cities.

In a separate development, 12 people in Moscow were charged on Monday with selling counterfeit cancer medicine to elderly citizens.