Ukrainian Poison Vendor Connected to Multiple UK Deaths Identified
A Ukrainian individual, Leonid Zakutenko, identified as a distributor of a lethal substance linked to over 130 deaths in the UK, has been apprehended.
Zakutenko advertised on a pro-suicide website and an undercover reporter discovered he shipped parcels to the UK weekly. He is allegedly distributing the same chemical as Kenneth Law of Canada, who faces 14 murder charges after his arrest last year.
Despite Zakutenko's denial when confronted at his Kyiv residence, evidence suggests years-long involvement in supplying the chemical. In the UK, sales of this chemical are legal but restricted to legitimate industrial uses, with mandatory background checks on buyers to prevent misuse. Small quantities can be fatally ingested.
The family of victims, twins Linda and Sarah who died in London after obtaining the poison from Zakutenko referred to him as both contemptible and evil. Their sister, Helen Kite, criticized the failure of authorities to prevent access to the fatal substance, labeling it as a national disgrace.
Discussions on the forum frequented by Linda suggest the chemical is widely known among users seeking to purchase and use it to end their lives. Research by Prof. Amrita Ahluwalia from Queen Mary University of London associating the chemical with more than 130 UK fatalities since 2019 underscores the urgency for regulation and an investigation into the matter.
Our investigation indicates Zakutenko has sold the chemical more than 1,200 times globally, resulting in at least 93 UK deaths. His involvement dates back to at least November 2020, and he's also marketed three prescription medicines featured in online suicide guides.
After tracking Zakutenko to a Kyiv apartment and confronting him, he denied allegations but failed to provide clarification when asked about the deaths. While said to make efforts to cover his tracks, evidence of his distribution was confirmed when we received a tracking number for an ordered parcel containing the chemical.
In response to these incidents, David Parfett, whose son Tom died from the chemical sold by Law, is actively campaigning to close down the suicide forum and halt merchants like Zakutenko. Despite raising awareness since September 2020, the UK authorities have encountered challenges in curtailing this online trade and forum activity, with efforts to intercept shipments proving inconsistently effective.
Both Parfett and Kite are advocating for stronger measures against the forums that directed their loved ones to the substance. The UK government indicates that the new Online Safety Act should aid in limiting access to such forums.
Despite Zakutenko's denial when confronted at his Kyiv residence, evidence suggests years-long involvement in supplying the chemical. In the UK, sales of this chemical are legal but restricted to legitimate industrial uses, with mandatory background checks on buyers to prevent misuse. Small quantities can be fatally ingested.
The family of victims, twins Linda and Sarah who died in London after obtaining the poison from Zakutenko referred to him as both contemptible and evil. Their sister, Helen Kite, criticized the failure of authorities to prevent access to the fatal substance, labeling it as a national disgrace.
Discussions on the forum frequented by Linda suggest the chemical is widely known among users seeking to purchase and use it to end their lives. Research by Prof. Amrita Ahluwalia from Queen Mary University of London associating the chemical with more than 130 UK fatalities since 2019 underscores the urgency for regulation and an investigation into the matter.
Our investigation indicates Zakutenko has sold the chemical more than 1,200 times globally, resulting in at least 93 UK deaths. His involvement dates back to at least November 2020, and he's also marketed three prescription medicines featured in online suicide guides.
After tracking Zakutenko to a Kyiv apartment and confronting him, he denied allegations but failed to provide clarification when asked about the deaths. While said to make efforts to cover his tracks, evidence of his distribution was confirmed when we received a tracking number for an ordered parcel containing the chemical.
In response to these incidents, David Parfett, whose son Tom died from the chemical sold by Law, is actively campaigning to close down the suicide forum and halt merchants like Zakutenko. Despite raising awareness since September 2020, the UK authorities have encountered challenges in curtailing this online trade and forum activity, with efforts to intercept shipments proving inconsistently effective.
Both Parfett and Kite are advocating for stronger measures against the forums that directed their loved ones to the substance. The UK government indicates that the new Online Safety Act should aid in limiting access to such forums.
