Police in north China's Hebei Province arrested 14 more people in connection with the country's tainted milk scandal, putting the total arrests in the province at 27.

Cao Aiping, Hebei Provincial Public Security Department's deputy director told Xinhua that police had questioned 91 people which generated 27 arrests, since the first 13 arrests on Sept. 29.

The suspects were alleged to have produced, sold or added the chemical melamine into fresh milk to deceive protein tests.

The chemical, which could lead to urinary tract problems such as kidney stones, was first found in powdered baby milk produced by dairy giant Sanlu Group, based in the provincial capital of Shijiazhuang.

In a 10-day crackdown on dairy products in late September, police confiscated more than 380 kilograms of melamine, the department said.

Melamine was later found in other milk products from Chinese companies such as Yili and Mengniu.

Police in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region where Yili and Mengniu are based, arrested six people suspected of producing and selling melamine.

A total of 12,892 babies were reported to be receiving treatment in hospital as of Sept. 21, according to the Ministry of Health.

The ministry did not give updated figures about sickened children when asked by Xinhua on Wednesday.

(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2008)