Alibaba helps police catch suspects in motor oil scam

E-commerce giant Alibaba is using big data to help Chinese police keep tabs on wholesalers suspected of importing fake motor lubricants from Malaysia and selling them online, the company said.

Authorities detained 11 suspects, including a Malaysian citizen, in June after it was discovered that counterfeit Mobil, Shell and Castrol products were being sold on online shopping platforms, including Alibaba's Taobao.

More than 50,000 barrels of fake lubricant with a street value of 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) was found at storehouses in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Yiwu, a city in Zhejiang province.