HOHHOT - Twenty people accused of manufacture and sales of illegal drugs have been arrested in Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Shaanxi province, local police announced on Monday.

On October 20, police in Inner Mongolia's Ordos city detained Yang who had a large amount of caffeine and sodium benzoate concealed in his a car.

Later that same night, police caught Hao, the man who sold the substances to Yang. Police then raided Hao's laboratory and confiscated nearly two tonnes of drugs and materials used to produce drugs.

More major suspects were apprehended later in Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia and one tonne of raw materials seized.

A total of 20 people have been detained.

Further investigation is underway.