Administrative workers for industry and commerce with north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have seized 370 kg of "dushuqiang", a powerful rat poison, as part of a campaign to stem illegal production and sale of the killer poison.

An official with the market section of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Administration for Industry and Commerce said that 4,310 industry and commerce administrative workers have been sent to inspect farmers' markets and private sales centers and have confiscated 370 kg of the powerful rat poison along with other banned poisons.

A total of 637 rat poison sales centers without business permits have been shut down through the operations, said the official.

"Dushuqiang," the rat poison, appeared in 1990 and is much@poisonous than arsenic or potassium cyanide. Only five milligrams of the poison is enough to kill a person.

However, the rat poison is popular in the country's rural areas and had been selling well in the countryside.

It is easy to make and cheap despite the fact the Chinese government has banned the production, sale and use of the poison.

A government survey also shows the powerful rat poison was blamed for over 90 percent of the massive food poisoning cases taking place across the country in the first five months of the year.

The Chinese government launched in July a nationwide campaign against illegal production, transportation, sale and use of the poison.

So far, more than 23,300 kilograms of "dushuqiang" has been confiscated nationwide.

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