In brief: China warns public about fake Red Bull

The authorities in China have detained 13 people in connection with an investigation into the sale of counterfeit Red Bull.

There has been a dramatic upsurge in fake versions of the popular energy drink in China, which is the primary market for its manufacturer, Red Bull Vitamin Co (not to be confused with Austrian firm Red Bull GmbH and sleeping partner TC Pharmaceutical). 

The arrests - reported in the South China Morning Post - were accompanied by seizures of counterfeit red bull cans, ingredients and packaging components worth some 25m yuan (around $4m), with officials shutting down 12 illegal production lines with the capacity to make upwards of 2,000 cans a day.

The counterfeit versions of the cans are hard to distinguish from the genuine article (see image from microblogging site Weibo), but are manufactured in filthy conditions. Counterfeit Red Bull cans have been reported in China since 2005, says the report.