FUZHOU - China's Ministry of Public Security announced Tuesday that police have arrested 43 suspects in connection with the production and sale of counterfeit sanitary products for women and children.

Police in Fujian, Anhui, Sichuan, Hubei, Hebei and Zhejiang provinces launched the crackdown on counterfeit sanitary products packaged as popular brand-name goods such as P&G and Sofy in February and busted the gangs in March, according to the ministry.

Some 19.6 million pieces of semi-finished and finished counterfeit articles and more than 100 tonnes of raw materials were seized in the crackdown, the ministry said.

Forty-three sites for the production, storage or packaging of the fake goods were destroyed and 20 product lines closed, it added.

Production of the fake sanitary goods began in February last year in Fujian and in August 2011 in Anhui. The products were sold in several provinces, including Shandong, Anhui, Guangdong, Hebei and Sichuan.

Police said they are still pursuing other suspects.