Underground radio stations illegally earn by unlawfully hawking fake medicines. (Photo : Reuters)
Over 300 radio stations were caught by northeast China's police illegally hawking fake medicines, threatening aviation safety via transmissions and promoting scams, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
According to the outlet, authorities from Liaoning Province's Shenyang busted a total of 66 underground radio stations from January to April this year. In 2015, 225 stations were busted.
Lui Weidong, Shenyang's wireless regulator, remarked that the cracking down on the stations "was like harvesting garlic chives."
"A new batch would always spring up soon after you cut the previous batch," Lui added.
The report noted that these radio stations did not have the permit to operate and ran via home set-ups.
Back in 2014 when illegal stations were still a novelty, a set of radio broadcasting equipment can be purchased at 20,000 yuan. Nowadays, the facilities can just be ordered online for a few thousand dollars.
Through the illegal businesses these radios do, the capital people have poured in can easily be recovered.
The article stressed that "majority of the illegal radio stations in Shenyang were used to promote illegal medicines, with treatments for venereal diseases accounting for over 80 percent of their business."
Furthermore, the investigations have found out that the stations also sold low-quality medicines for over 1,000 yuan. The items' original price was only less than 20 yuan.
People who run such business get commissions apart from the income they earn from selling the drugs. This easy source of income, though illegal, has attracted many people in the province, which currently faces a struggling economic growth. Liaoning is among the slowest growing provinces in the country.
Meanwhile, as for stations hindering aviation, the report cited as an example the disruption of the landings of four flights at Dalian airport in the province.
Based on wireless communication regulations, radio stations caught doing such illegal acts could be fined with a maximum of 5,000 yuan.
