UK probes 88 fatalities tied to Canadian website selling deadly items to those seeking to end their lives

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【Summary】UK police are investigating the deaths of 88 people who purchased lethal substances from Canadian websites. Kenneth Law, the owner of the websites, has been charged with counseling and aiding suicide. The investigation is part of international efforts, with authorities in the US, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand also looking into the matter. The UK's National Crime Agency has identified 232 people who bought products from the websites, with 88 of them having died.

FutureCar Staff Aug 25, 2023 10:14 AM PT

UK probes 88 fatalities tied to Canadian website selling deadly items to those seeking to end their lives

British police are currently investigating the deaths of 88 individuals in the United Kingdom who purchased products from Canadian-based websites. These websites are believed to have offered lethal substances to individuals at risk of self-harm. The investigation is part of a larger international inquiry that was initiated following the arrest of Kenneth Law in Canada earlier this year. Law has been charged with two counts of counseling and aiding suicide. Canadian authorities have stated that Law used a series of websites to market and sell sodium nitrite, a substance commonly used to cure meats but can be deadly if ingested.

Law is suspected of having sent over 1,200 packages to more than 40 countries. As a result, authorities in the United States, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand have also launched their own investigations into this matter. In the United Kingdom, the National Crime Agency has identified 232 individuals who purchased products from these websites within a two-year period until April. Out of these individuals, 88 have tragically passed away.

The National Crime Agency has stated that it is currently investigating whether any crimes have been committed in the United Kingdom as a result of these purchases. However, 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. The agency has expressed its deepest sympathies to the loved ones of those who have died and has ensured that they are being supported by specially trained officers from police forces across the country.