Ontario Provincial Police say they have not received any reports yet in the London and area region of a “potentially lethal substance” being mailed across the province in packages.
Investigators said the packages “may have been sent to individuals at risk of self-harm in communities across Ontario.”
The packages contain sodium nitrite.
According to police, sodium nitrite is a white, crystalline substance used as a food additive and typically found in processed meats. Intentional consumption of excessive amounts of this substance can reduce oxygen levels, impair breathing and result in death.
The substance was being sold online and distributed by mail, police said.
In their investigation, police said they found the packages may have been sent to more than a dozen communities in Ontario, in addition to other parts of the world.
The names of businesses listed on the packages include: Imtime Cuisine, AmbuCA, Academic / ACademic, Escape Mode / escMode and ICemac.
“The OPP is calling on everyone to be vigilant of the online transactions and activity of family members and the arrival of any unexpected packages in the mail,” police said.
Peel Regional Police accuse a Mississauga, Ont., man of providing the substance to Ontarians. The man was charged with counselling or aiding suicide.
Anyone who receives a package containing sodium nitrite or suspects it may contain the substance is asked to contact police.
— with files from Global’s Gabby Rodrigues