Miles Cross, 33, from Wrexham, has been slapped with a 14-year jail sentence for selling a deadly chemical linked to two suicides. The man ran a sinister side hustle on the dark web, deliberately targeting vulnerable people desperate for help.
Dark Web Dealer Peddled Poison to Suicidal Buyers
Cross set up fresh email accounts, bank details, and a new phone to launch his grim online “business.” From July 2024, he hid behind a fake identity on a secret forum, sharing a QR code so buyers could order the lethal substance and pay £100 via bank transfer.
He posted the chemical to at least four customers. Two are now confirmed dead, including 26-year-old Shubhreet Singh from West Yorkshire.
Survivor Condemns ‘Callous’ Exploitation
“Because this person made it so easily available makes me think they preyed on vulnerable people like me,” said a surviving customer who bought the chemical in a fragile moment. “The substance he sold could have ended my life and ruined my family.”
Cops Crack Down on Online Suicide Predators
North Wales Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Evans slammed Cross’s actions. He urged anyone battling suicidal feelings to seek trusted help such as the Samaritans, rather than dark web forums crawling with predators.
“I think it’s been surprising that someone would stoop so low as to take advantage of people in such a vulnerable state and seek to profit from them,” Evans said.
Cross refused to name his customers during police questioning. This is the first prosecution of its kind in the UK.
Campaigners Demand Tougher Laws to Shut Pro-Suicide Forums
Ofcom has launched an investigation into the forum, which is now blocked for users in the UK. Andy Burrows, head of the Molly Rose Foundation, called for urgent action against the forum’s owners to prevent copycats.
“Miles Cross was able to callously use an online pro-suicide forum to target vulnerable people and sell a poison linked to at least 133 UK deaths,” Burrows warned.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is just a call away. Contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (UK) or email [email protected]. In the US, dial 1 (800) 273-TALK.
