Mississauga man behind websites that led to 88 deaths in the UK

The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency said Friday that it has linked the deaths of 88 people in the country to Mississauga-based Kenneth Law, who has been accused of operating websites for the express purpose of selling poison and other tools for suicide.

The UK’s NCA said it has identified 232 people in the U.K. who bought products from the Canada-based websites in the last two years, of which 88 had died.

Kenneth Law, 57, was arrested in Toronto in May, accused of assisting suicide. The British NCA said the ongoing investigation surrounding Law will not include any cases outside Canadian police jurisdiction.

“Our deepest sympathies are with the loved ones of those who have died. They are being supported by specially trained officers from police forces,” NCA deputy director Craig Turner said in a statement.

The investigation by UK-based newspaper, The Times fist put spotlight on Kenneth Law in April, leading to his eventual arrest by Peel police. The Times led an investigation that caught Law on tape advising how to use his products, as well as assuring the reporter that “many, many people” had died taking sodium nitrite – his flagship product. Law later confirmed those details in-person when the Times spoke with him outside a post office in Mississauga.

Peel Regional police said 11 police services from across Ontario are now involved in a joint investigation into Law’s operations.

Law is accused of operating websites to promote sodium nitrate to people who were considering suicide, through a series of online websites. Police said Law is suspected of sending at least 1,200 packages to more than 40 countries, prompting authorities in the United States, Italy, Australia and New Zealand to also launch investigations.

Rahat Sandhu