Computer programmer convicted of attempting to possess a chemical weapon
Mohammed Ali, 31, was convicted at the Old Bailey in 2015 of attempting to possess a chemical weapon.
Ali, from Liverpool, struck a deal with a supplier in January to buy 500mg of powder - enough to kill 1,400 people.
He was unaware that his source was in fact an FBI agent.
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Hide AdThe father-of-two was sent harmless powder hidden inside a toy car. After opening the package, which had been treated with a marker substance, he was arrested at his home.
The court heard Ali, a computer programmer, first heard about ricin after watching US crime drama Breaking Bad.
He told jurors he was just “curious” and wanted to test the boundaries of the Dark Web, and was unaware ricin was illegal.
Ali approached the undercover agent with a private message, saying: “Hi, would you be able to make me some ricin and send it to the UK?”
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Hide AdIn a series of encrypted chats, they discussed the price of a lethal dose, discounts for bulk orders and ricin’s “shelf life.”
Ali was sent what he thought was ricin concealed inside the battery compartment of a toy car
After Ali took delivery of the toy car with five vials hidden in the battery compartment, police swooped to arrest him at his home.
The police operation to arrest Ali was co-ordinated by Merseyside Police and the North West Counter Terrorism Unit.