A British man has been arrested in an anti-terror raid after he attempted to purchase deadly ricin poison from an undercover FBI agent on the so-called "dark net," the hard-to-access parts of the internet used by those engaging in criminal activity.
Mohammed Ammer Ali bought 500 mg of ricin from a U.S. online marketplace in a plot to "kill hundreds" every month, Breitbart reported. The father-of-two was allegedly going to test the poisonous chemical, 6,000 times more deadly than cyanide, on animals.
Last week, the 31-year-old IT worker was arrested by British counter-terrorism police at his home in Liverpool.
"Whether inhaled or injected, the chemical would easily be enough to scientifically kill hundreds of people," prosecutor Mark Dawson said of the amount of ricin ordered. "He believed he was purchasing five fatal doses."
In January, Ali contacted an FBI agent, who was posing as a seller, claiming that he would be a "good repeat customer" and would "need 500 mg each month, for the next few months," according to investigators.
"Could you do it a little cheaper if I bought more?" he allegedly questioned after the FBI agent quoted the price to be $200 per lethal dose. Eventually, he asked for 500mg for $500, which needed to be split into "multiple dosages" and would be "used indoors."
He wanted it to be packaged in "Breaking Bad style" phials, stuffed inside a toy car and delivered to his family home in the United Kingdom, according to UK MailOnline.
"I will be a very good repeat customer if you can make this possible and im (sic) happy with the results," he added, according to a transcript.
On Feb. 10, the suspect's wife is said to have accepted the delivery before armed officers arrested him the following morning during raids of five properties in Liverpool, including his home, former home and a local IT firm.
After he was taken into custody, evidence seized at his home showed that a "to-do list" had been saved on his computer which said "pay ricin man" and "get pet to murder." According to British counter terrorism police, the 31-year-old suspect had also intended to use the chemical for political ends.
On Wednesday, the 31-year-old appeared at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court and was charged with attempting to obtain a chemical weapon. He is scheduled to appear at the Old Bailey on March 13.
Last December, the FBI also managed to arrest Manhattan native Chang Le after he attempted to purchase ricin in a bid to resell the pills to local murderers who wanted to make undetectable kills.
