Fake diet pill ring busted

(Bergen County, NJ- WABC, February 8, 2007) (WABC) -- Police in New Jersey have busted a multi million dollar counterfeit drug ring.

The ring was selling a fake brand of a dietary supplement popular with high school and college athletes, a drug claiming to contain ephedra.

The supplement is called "Stacker 2."

Eyewitness News reporter Jeff Pegues has more.

Late today Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli put on display the results of a two month undercover investigation.

A table full of fake diet supplements that, investigators say, were being sold illegally at two health food stores in the area.

"It does look like Stacker 2 product," Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said. "We're told it is little bit more yellow than Stacker 2 product actually is."

Authorities have arrested Arun Datwani, the owner of Roots Vitamin and Health Food Store in North Arlington and Frank Huerta, the owner of Nutricentro Health Food Store in West New York.

They are accused of labeling and selling counterfeit Stacker 2 with Ephedra. Investigators say what they were selling was a bogus concoction.

Prosecutor John Molinelli: "It could be anything. I doubt it, sugar, because sugar is expensive."

Stacker 2 diet pills, the real ones are increasingly popular with teenagers who are trying to get in shape for high school sports.

"They want to get bigger and stronger," a high school student, Henry Hernandez, said.

And because of the popularity of diet supplements like Stacker 2, the Bergen County Prosecutor is focused on stopping the sale of counterfeit pills. In this case the prosecutor's office says 5000 bottles of it is now out of circulation along with more than 3 million dollars in cash.

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