More people than ever are trying to buy poisons on the internet. Frequently these are for “self-deliverance” – suicide in other words. In every single case, we believe, the buyers are falling victim to criminal gangs. Any money paid will be lost irretrievably.
Philip Nitschke has published a list of the worst offenders. In total there are over 300 websites involved. Some details can be found at www.nembutalscams.com.
“Nembutal” is the usual brand name for pentobarbital of sodium – the barbiturate used by the Swiss end-of-life centres. In the UK it is legal for medical and for veterinary purposes but its use, quite correctly, is very tightly controlled. Any attempt to import it privately is automatically illegal. Nonetheless, criminals overseas (often in China) are persuading large numbers of UK citizens to send them money for just that purpose. Usually, nothing will arrive. If anything does arrive, it won’t work.
On the face of things, it is puzzling that so many people are falling victim to these scams. However, people hunting for such supplies are usually in a pretty desperate state. They must often be aware of the scamming risks but decide to proceed anyway, persuaded by such phrases as “internationally guaranteed” and “we will sort out any customs issues”. Frequently, the websites themselves sound like respectable organisations but have one letter changed, usually not noticeably. Also, of course, people making such enquiries are frequently doing their own research from scratch. They are therefore particularly vulnerable to persuasion by vendors who appear to be offering precisely what they are looking for. Please beware.
