Canadian man charged with counseling suicides; police warn of packages shipped to 40 nations

BRAMPTON, Ontario — Police in Canada arrested a person for allegedly promoting a deadly substance to individuals vulnerable to self-harm and charged him with counseling suicide within the deaths of two Canadians.

Peel Regional Police mentioned the costs have been lodged late Tuesday in opposition to Kenneth Law, 57, of Mississauga, Ontario, after an investigation into two latest deaths within the space.

Law appeared briefly in a Brampton, Ontario, courtroom, on Wednesday and his case was put over to subsequent week.

Police mentioned Law used a sequence of internet sites to market and promote sodium nitrite, a substance generally used to treatment meats however that may be lethal.

The Globe and Mail reported that Law confirmed earlier than his arrest that he was promoting sodium nitrite on-line however that he denied any wrongdoing. “I’m selling a legal product, OK. And what the person does with it? I have no control,” he was quoted as saying.

Police mentioned their investigation discovered that not less than 1,200 packages have been allegedly despatched by Law to over 40 nations. Authorities didn’t specify what the packages contained, however Peel Regional Deputy Police Chief Marc Andrews urged anybody who acquired a cargo from Law to contact suicide hotlines and police.

It is in opposition to the regulation in Canada for somebody to suggest suicide, though assisted suicide has been authorized since 2016 for individuals aged not less than 18. Any grownup with a critical sickness, illness or incapacity could search assist in dying, however they need to ask for that help from a doctor.

The Canadian Press reported {that a} coroner’s report it obtained from the United Kingdom seems to level to not less than one demise by suicide within the U.Ok. linked to a postal field in Mississauga and an organization title that police linked to Law.