Poison Bought on Canadian Websites Linked to 88 Deaths in UK

National Crime Agency investigating whether purchases helped with assisted suicide

Undated image of an antique glass bottle. Triff/Shutterstock

Poison bought on the internet has been linked to the deaths of 88 people in the UK and the National Crime Agency is investigating whether or not they were purchased to assist with suicide.

A total of 232 people in Britain allegedly bought poison from two websites, both based in Canada and linked to 57-year-old Kenneth Law.

Mr. Law, 57, was arrested in the Canadian province of Ontario in May and has been charged with two counts of counselling and aiding suicide after allegedly selling a lethal substance to people across the world.

Peel Regional Police have alleged Mr. Law, who lives in Mississauga, near Toronto, ran several websites that marketed and sold sodium nitrite, a lethal substance commonly used to cure meats.

Mr. Law is accused of sending 1,200 packages to 40 countries and his operation is being investigated by police in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Italy.

An artist's sketch of Kenneth Law in court in Brampton, Ont., May 3, 2023. The Canadian Press/Alexandra Newbould

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it received information in April suggesting a number of people in Britain had purchased products from the websites.

The NCA said 232 individuals in the UK had purchased products from the websites in the two years prior to April 2023 and 88 of them have died.

The NCA said, “at this early stage there are no confirmed links between the items purchased from the websites and the cause of death in any of these cases.”

Relatives of the 88 Being Supported by Trained Officers

The agency’s deputy director, Craig Turner, said: “Our deepest sympathies are with the loved ones of those who have died. They are being supported by specially trained officers from police forces.”

“In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, the NCA has taken the decision to conduct an investigation into potential criminal offences committed in the UK. This operation is underway,” it added.

The father of 22-year-old Tom Parfett—who took his own life in October 2021 after allegedly buying sodium nitrite from one of the Canadian websites—criticised police for being slow to wake up to the threat posed by Mr. Law.

David Parfett told the BBC: “It’s important for families to understand what has happened and why policing worldwide allowed this scale of deaths despite clear warning signs.”

He said there were other unregulated websites promoting suicide and said: “What can be done immediately to close down internet sites that prey on vulnerable young people and prosecute the people who take pleasure in helping others take their own life?”

In May, Ontario Provincial Police alerted the public to report any packages received from five companies they allege are connected to Mr. Law: Academic, AmbuCA, ICemac, Escape Mode, and Imtime Cuisine.

Health Canada said it, “has been made aware of reports of people intentionally ingesting sodium nitrate or nitrite with the intent of self-harm and is taking action to address this concerning trend.''

Growing Concern About Suicide Websites

In recent years there has been growing concern about the proliferation of websites about suicide and self-harm.

In October last year, a coroner recommended separate social media platforms for adults and children following the death of Molly Russell, 14, from Harrow in north west London.

She had viewed online content related to depression and self-harm for months before taking her own life on Nov. 21, 2017.

In November 2022 the Culture Secretary, Michelle Donelan, said online encouragement of self-harm would be criminalised under an updated version of the Online Safety Bill.

She said the update would create a new offence that would target communications that encourage someone to physically harm themselves, making it illegal to do so, and bringing it in line with communications that encourage suicide, which are already illegal.

PA Media contributed to this report.