Ontario man arrested in alleged sale of lethal substance linked to 2 deaths in Peel Region
CBC
A man allegedly behind the online sale of a lethal substance linked to deaths abroad has been arrested and charged after the deaths of two adults in Peel Region, police say.
Kenneth Law, 57, has been charged with two counts of counselling or aiding suicide, Peel Regional Police said in a news release on Tuesday evening.
"It is believed that the suspect distributed and marketed the substance online to target individuals at risk of self-harm," police said in the release.
Police say some 1,200 packages believed to be linked to the companies associated with Law have been shipped to over 40 countries, however it's unknown exactly how many of them contained the substance sodium nitrite.
The charges against Law follow a month-long investigation that began on March 31 after a sudden death in which the victim was suspected of consuming sodium nitrite, police said. The substance was believed to be to have been purchased by an online company owned by Law.
Sodium nitrite is a salt compound or food additive that is commonly used to cure meats. But the white, crystalline substance can be lethal when ingested in high concentrations, according to toxicology experts.
Peel Deputy Police Chief Marc Andrews told reporters that further investigation revealed that Law was allegedly linked to additional companies, including Imtime Cuisine, AmbuCA, Academic/ACademic, Escape Mode/escMode and ICemac.
Andrews urged the public to contact police immediately if they know someone who has received a package from any of these companies.
"The mental health and well-being of our communities is our main priority. As such, we will not tolerate criminal actions by those who prey on vulnerable individuals in our community," Andrews said.
Peel police say they are working with other police forces across Ontario, nationally and internationally, because they believe there could be more victims.
"It's been a really hard slog," Andrews said. "Our investigators have done a lot of legwork."
In late April, Peel police confirmed they were investigating after The Times of London reported a Mississauga, Ont., man named Kenneth Law had allegedly been selling a potentially lethal, but legal, substance online to people overseas looking to end their lives.
Reached by phone at the time, Law told CBC News the allegations in the article were "false."
Law is expected to appear in court for a bail hearing on Wednesday.
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