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Author: Subject: Don't read this if you don't want to be pissed off
mr.crow
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 07:35
Don't read this if you don't want to be pissed off


This is buffalo bullshit. Basically whatever JohnWW says about this will be true.

http://extradition.org.uk/2009/04/27/couple-faces-extraditio...

:mad::mad::mad:
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Sedit
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 07:52


Im not pissed.

Quote:
The couple ran a legal chemical business — Lab Chemicals International — until targeted by undercover agents posing as buyers after a tip-off by one American citizen.


Sounds like the DEA busted a methlab and these people got ratted out. No way in hell is the US going to go thru all of this without 100% knowledge that these folks knew they where selling it to someone wanting to cook. Think of an undercover prostitution sting where you don't solicite the money they wait for the jane to set the terms then they takem down. Until I hear more on the case I can't really say I feel for them one bit. They are a chemical company and as such I am sure they know the status of RP/I2 in the US. Fireworks and animal medication...? Spare me the sob story really. They got caught and it happends when you play hard ball. But as such you must face what you know may come from it.





Knowledge is useless to useless people...

"I see a lot of patterns in our behavior as a nation that parallel a lot of other historical processes. The fall of Rome, the fall of Germany — the fall of the ruling country, the people who think they can do whatever they want without anybody else's consent. I've seen this story before."~Maynard James Keenan
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mr.crow
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 08:24


Of course the US buyers wanted to cook with it, and it was dumb selling to them.

That being said I find it hard to believe a Scottish family would be part of a drug ring by running a legal company and operating within the laws. Living in UK and having the US swoop in and destroy their lives is reprehensible, especially using bullshit laws made after 9-11

Basically the way they were treated makes me upset
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hissingnoise
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 09:01


This the much-debated KNO3.com case---the thread was recently activated by a scammer!

http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=7127

[Edited on 17-11-2009 by hissingnoise]
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Sedit
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 09:24


Is this that same case? I don't know much about the KNO3 case. How did it turn out then?




Knowledge is useless to useless people...

"I see a lot of patterns in our behavior as a nation that parallel a lot of other historical processes. The fall of Rome, the fall of Germany — the fall of the ruling country, the people who think they can do whatever they want without anybody else's consent. I've seen this story before."~Maynard James Keenan
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hissingnoise
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 09:46


Let's just say, they wouldn't have done what they did had they kno(3)n about the provisions in the treaty. . .
Though his case is not chemistry-related I have a bit more sympathy for this guy. . .

http://search-result.com/rssrelay/?http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/...

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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 12:02


The Howes chemical company worked with all UK agencies as required by law.

The US decided to extradite because they wanted the chemicals to stop reaching the US, the US also knew evidence was not required to to have the Howes couple extradited.

The US also knew that once extradited the Howes would if cleared on conspiracy still get 20 years per count for selling the chemicals to the US.

The US call it "The long arm law" it allows the US to extend it's laws to other countries.

If the Howes are extradited there are more than 50 other people on bail working and directing chemical companies in the UK waiting to see if extradition is requested.

If you need to know the names of these companies I am happy to post them as I believe SOCA who are working with the US breaching UK laws to serve the US is Illegal.

thechemicalcloset.com and thechemicalcloset.co.uk was also a US sting using the registered address of KNO3.COM and then they put the sales down to KNO3 and I have evidence of this.

Will it help the Howes? NO! evidence is not needed or can even be used in defence.

Soon the Howes will be gone and most people will just turn a blind eye.

This however will make it even easier to get any person the US want.

If you people need evidence just ask and links will be given.
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 12:13


Quote: Originally posted by GordonBrown  


The US call it "The long arm law" it allows the US to extend it's laws to other countries.



Team America: World Police?

Ugh.




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I was a sorry witness of such doings, knowing that a little theory and calculation would have saved him ninety per cent of his labor.”
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hissingnoise
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 12:39


Quote: Originally posted by GordonBrown  
The US call it "The long arm law" it allows the US to extend it's laws to other countries.

Your namesake's ingraciating manner towards Obama is sickeningly reminiscent of his predecessor's to Bush, but Obama isn't Bush and he sees G.B. as he is; a 3/4s blind Scots idiot with ideas way above his station. . .
And the US, given the chance will extend its influence where it can---it's just how it works!
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watson.fawkes
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 16:58


For some actual data, I found the decision of the first judge in the extradition request: http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/doc1.html. The press story is from April six months back. What's the current status of the case?

Quote: Originally posted by GordonBrown  
The US call it "The long arm law" it allows the US to extend it's laws to other countries.
The legal term is "universal jurisdiction", and it's generally only been used for genocide and war crimes and misbehavior of similar import.

As to issues with the case itself, one question is whether the seller can be considered a "regulated person" under 21 CFR 1300.2(27) (this is in the diversion regulation). Generally such kind of definition is taken to be a subset of "U.S.A. persons". Since this is a commercial regulation, it's unlikely that they could make universal jurisdiction stick.

On the other hand, the extradition request is based something other than simply diversion violations, namely, conspiracy; see [18] in the judgement.

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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 17:10


Maybe its revenge for all of the America bashing on the hive.
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 17:43


This case is a total clusterfuck on a number of accounts. The US prosecution is taking place in Arizona. Naturally. More data:
2009 Aug 04: Desperate fighting against extradition judgement: Lawyers say woman would be at suicide risk if extradited to US.
2009 Jun 21: WTF? Drugs probe extradition Scot accused of sex attacks on six-year-old girl.
2007 Mar 27: There was already a US civil forfeiture proceeding.
Howes site

And definitive information on this case just isn't very forthcoming. Brian Howes, who publishes/reprints much of this stuff, doesn't seem to right much himself, so current events are a little hard to make out.

What's become clear to me, though, is that the real culprit is this bastard of a post-9/11 extradition treaty that seriously eliminated a number of basic procedural protections. However aggressive the Arizona people are (and that's plenty), it was political decisions at the top of the UK government that made this possible.
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 18:00


Quote: Originally posted by Sedit  
Im not pissed.
Sounds like the DEA busted a methlab and these people got ratted out. No way in hell is the US going to go thru all of this without 100% knowledge that these folks knew they where selling it to someone wanting to cook. Think of an undercover prostitution sting where you don't solicite the money they wait for the jane to set the terms then they takem down. Until I hear more on the case I can't really say I feel for them one bit. They are a chemical company and as such I am sure they know the status of RP/I2 in the US. Fireworks and animal medication...? Spare me the sob story really. They got caught and it happends when you play hard ball. But as such you must face what you know may come from it.
Have to agree with Sedit. I'm not pissed in the slightest. Red P and I2? Give me a break.
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 18:28


Isn't it SOP to ask the sellers for records or other assistance in where these products are going? I mean, wouldn't it be an awful lot easier and more productive to monitor their customers than to bust them in the first place?

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watson.fawkes
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 19:21


Quote: Originally posted by entropy51  
Have to agree with Sedit. I'm not pissed in the slightest. Red P and I2? Give me a break.
These chemicals are legal in the UK. They are not legal to sell without registration in the US. There are plenty of things that are legal in one jurisdiction that are illegal in another. The whole reason that universal jurisdiction does not generalize (and wasn't meant to) is that otherwise people would be subject to prosecution from anywhere in the world, for just about anything that someone, somewhere didn't like. This is a kind of foundational civil right that just didn't need explicit enumerating until recently.

As far as the Arizona prosecutors, they are doing their job, admittedly with an above-average overzeal that has its own kind of noxiousness. But that's not news. The real people to be offended at are the British and Scots who signed off on this mode of extradition and who are proceeding forward with this.

I can see only three (sane) ways that someone might not be offended about this. (1) They believe that it's a good idea to restrict phosphorus and iodine sales. (2) They believe that it's a good idea that people should be subject to laws of another country. (3) They wish to blame the victim, who should have know better than to taunt powerful people. I have little respect for any of these positions.
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watson.fawkes
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 19:23


Quote: Originally posted by 12AX7  
I mean, wouldn't it be an awful lot easier and more productive to monitor their customers than to bust them in the first place?
It's not more productive for the prosecutors, who have a career-making incentive to bust "international drug criminals". There's definitely an incentive mismatch here, leading not only to ineffective interventions, but also to injustice.
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 19:47


But watson you said yourself that conspiracy was the crime for which they are being prosecuted for. I have see suggestions that this was not a minor incedent but they have supplied enough to make TONs of methamphetamine (I know they over do it...but still). Conspiracy to manufacture drugs is a felony there im sure of as well so if there decision is to send the suspects to the US then who are we to judge. In the end I find it doubtful that charges stating unlawful distribution of the chemicals will hold up other then in the sence that these where there business partners in cooking tons of drugs.

[Edited on 18-11-2009 by Sedit]





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JohnWW
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 21:13


The case sounds very similar in principle to that of "UFO hacker" Gary MacKinnon, who a few years ago accessed NASA computers in the U$A from his flat in London, trying to obtain proof of UFOs, and that NASA knew all about them and was trying to cover them up (e.g. by "Photoshopping" photographs before release, and threatening employees). He has never actually visited the U$A. MacKinnon claims to have have found such evidence, but that he did not actually have to "hack" in order to find it; he found that he could access the NASA computers concerned easily because they were not protected by any password, meaning that any computer internet user could readily access the information. I think he was also seeking evidence that the Office Of Naval Research (ONR) had developed secret reproduction UFOs in "Area 51" in Nevada using technology retrieved from crashed alien UFOs.

In spite of not actually having done any actual "hacking" (i.e. obtaining unauthorized access by cracking logins and passwords on secure sites or web-pages) or anything else wrong, some idiot pro$ecutor in the U$A corruptly decided that he would like to enhance his promotion prospects by charging MacKinnon with all manner of "hacking" and "spying" charges, and demanding that the Briti$h Govt. extradite him to Virginia to face charges there, and to be in custody there while awaiting trial. However, MacKinnon has remained free on bail in London so far. The case, based upon what appears to be perjured American evidence and the one-sided Fa$cist extradition treaty that the Briti$h Govt. was so stupidly hoodwinked by the Bu$h régime into signing with the U$A (using the "war/whore on drugs" and alleged "terrorism" as false excuses as usual, see above posts) has gone through all the English Court system, to the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords.

It looks as if the only thing that could save MacKinnon from extradition is a further appeal to the European Court Of Human Rights, in which he would be able to avail himself of international law pertaining to Human Rights, such as the UN Universal Declaration Of Human Rights 1948 and European Charter Of Human Rights 2000, and also claim that what he did was legal in the UK, that he could not obtain a fair trial in the U$A, that his health or life might be in danger in custody there, and that he would be in jeopardy of being given an unduly harsh sentence (by European standards). He would also be able to argue the substantive facts of his case.

Gary McKinnon was caught as the result of his having accessed the NASA computers from his own home (rather than an internet café or library), and not using an elite/high-anonymity proxy-server such as those listed in http://www.samair.ru/proxy . He also made the mistake of downloading whole websites using a free utility that he downloaded from a website which requires downloaders to give their names and email addresses (which could be simply falsified), and again without using a proxy-server.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_McKinnon and http://freegary.org.uk and http://www.theblackvault.com/wiki/index.php/Gary_McKinnon

It looks as if the Howes are facing the same battle, and that their case may also end up in the European Court Of Human Rights, although the laws of Scotland (where they live) are generally more humane than English laws. They would, like Gary MacKinnon, be able to argue their substantive case before the European Court, along with the fact that what they did was not an offense in the UK, that they could not obtain a fair trial in the U$A, that their health or life might be in danger in custody there, and that they would be in jeopardy of being given an unduly harsh sentence by European standards

It is also unfortunate that the UK does not have some sort of Constitutional provision preventing Briti$h nationals from being extradited to face alleged charges (which could easily be politically-motivated) in foreign Courts, like many other countries have in order to protect their own nationals. France and Russia are two countries that have such a Constitutional provision, which is why Lugovoi could not be extradited from Russia to the UK on a Briti$h charge of murdering Colonel Litvenenko by poisoning him with polonium-210 in London in 2007.

As for I2 and red P, they have several important uses quite unconnected with any sort of either legal or illegal organic synthesis. I2 is used as an analytical reagent in a titration to determine dissolved oxygen in water (using starch as an indicator, with which it forms an intense blue complex when in excess), and, dissolved in grain alcohol, as the disinfectant "tincture of iodine". Red P is used to make calcium phosphide (by reaction with metallic Ca), used to poison burrowing vermin by placing Ca3P2 in their burrows, where the stuff undergoes hydrolysis in the presence of water vapor to poisonous PH3; and in making matches; and as a small constituent of some alloys.

[Edited on 18-11-09 by JohnWW]
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[*] posted on 17-11-2009 at 21:44


Quote:

Conspiracy to manufacture drugs is a felony there im sure of as well

Do you have any references? In Canada, I've never heard of anyone being charged with conspiracy to distribute or manufacture narcotics. A google search shows the same. The only conspiracy laws we have are aimed at price-fixing among businesses, and I imagine that conspiring to murder someone would have to be illegal as well, since murder is obviously universally accepted as a criminal offense. Drugs are not as black and white, many countries still employ the death penalty for simple possession, whereas other countries have decriminalized drugs altogether.


Every country has different laws and different morals and different views. Personally, I think Sudan should begin extraditing American women for wearing pants on television and in magazines. Hilary Clinton would get her fair share of lashings.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/23/sudan-women-sentenc...

I don't know about state law, but the U.S. federal criminal charge for possessing red phosphorus is actually "Possession of red phosphorus with intent to manufacture methamphetamine." That means they still have to prove "intent." From what I've read, it sounds like the Howes are being charged with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, which is a lot worse. In reality, they only need to have some sense of surety that a juror of 12 citizens will convict, or that you will plead guilty under pressure. The U.S. federal system has a 97% conviction rate (of which a large percentage are probably guilty pleas) and they also have unlimited funding.

Brian Howes just needs to keep fighting the good fight, and keep stressing the fact that 1)what he did is not a criminal offense in his country and 2)his country is a sovereign state and does not need to adhere to the ludicrous laws of a country full of retards. Being quiet is the worse thing he could do.

[Edited on 18-11-2009 by anotheronebitesthedust]
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[*] posted on 18-11-2009 at 03:48


Quote: Originally posted by watson.fawkes  
For some actual data, I found the decision of the first judge in the extradition request: http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/doc1.html. The press story is from April six months back. What's the current status of the case?

Quote: Originally posted by GordonBrown  
The US call it "The long arm law" it allows the US to extend it's laws to other countries.
The legal term is "universal jurisdiction", and it's generally only been used for genocide and war crimes and misbehavior of similar import.

As to issues with the case itself, one question is whether the seller can be considered a "regulated person" under 21 CFR 1300.2(27) (this is in the diversion regulation). Generally such kind of definition is taken to be a subset of "U.S.A. persons". Since this is a commercial regulation, it's unlikely that they could make universal jurisdiction stick.

On the other hand, the extradition request is based something other than simply diversion violations, namely, conspiracy; see [18] in the judgement.


From that link, I read at [46]:
E.mails were said to have been sent to the respondents alerting them to the fact that their chemicals were being used to manufacture methamphetamine. An e.mail warned that it was VERY illegal to sell red phosphorus to the United States without a license. Advice was said to have been given by e.mail to KNO3 in August 2005 by law enforcement in California advising that its iodine crystals were being used to manufacture methamphetamine in the United States. Examples were given of United States law enforcement officers following up KNO3 orders to their destination in the United States and finding methamphetamine labs with the chemicals sent by KNO3 in packages with false descriptions of their contents. A saved website which gives a recipe for manufacturing methamphetamine from red phosphorus and iodine was found on a KNO3 computer.

If these statings are indeed true, KNO3 has been very irresponsible! If really warnings have been send, KNO3 should have stopped selling at all to the US, especially RP, wich is known to be a regulated chemical for reasons (meth, direct precursor to phosphorus chlorides, CWC regulated chems).

Still I think it's bullshit that the US can start trials against UK citizens.
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hissingnoise
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[*] posted on 18-11-2009 at 04:08


The threads should probably be merged---to put the whole in context.
Er. . .(Novelty, off and worn)?
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mad.gif posted on 18-11-2009 at 05:42


The Howes said they did receive any warnings from US authorities and no evidence was produced to show otherwise.

The Howes labelled Iodine as "Iodine for medical use" and Red Phosphorus "Red metal for metal works"

The packaging was also UN approved with a return address and all chemicals 50 of them all had a return address a business name VAT number and Labelled in accordance with UK law.

The Howes only ever took credit card orders and it has been accepted that the business account had about £6,000 in it and that was for running costs and payroll.

There is no defence for the Howes as once on US soil conspiracy can be dropped and each sale without conspiracy carries 20 years.

The plea bargain rate is 97% not the conviction rate.

only 3% of people go to trial and a small fraction are equited.

The Howes must have know as part of their job that all the chemicals had their misuses and they reported to special branch suspicious orders.

RP and Iodine may = Meth in the US but not in the eyes of people in the UK.

The Us get "universal jurisdiction" as I have been corrected by using conspiracy in the indictment to get dual criminality.

If evidence of conspiracy exists the Howes can be tried in the UK as the offence occurred there if it occurred.

Surely everybody is innocent until proven guilty?

Remand and years of proceedings does not constitute a fair trial and bail is not available fpr none US citizens after fighting extradition. The concept of innocent has completely gone.

This can happen to anybody.
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entropy51
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[*] posted on 18-11-2009 at 06:57


You forgot the most important reason
Quote: Originally posted by watson.fawkes  
I can see only three (sane) ways that someone might not be offended about this. (1) They believe that it's a good idea to restrict phosphorus and iodine sales. (2) They believe that it's a good idea that people should be subject to laws of another country. (3) They wish to blame the victim, who should have know better than to taunt powerful people. I have little respect for any of these positions.
(4) They think it's a good thing to cut off supplies to some of the dope cooks:
Quote: Originally posted by Jor  
Advice was said to have been given by e.mail to KNO3 in August 2005 by law enforcement in California advising that its iodine crystals were being used to manufacture methamphetamine in the United States. Examples were given of United States law enforcement officers following up KNO3 orders to their destination in the United States and finding methamphetamine labs with the chemicals sent by KNO3 in packages with false descriptions of their contents.
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[*] posted on 18-11-2009 at 07:51


Quote: Originally posted by Sedit  
But watson you said yourself that conspiracy was the crime for which they are being prosecuted for. I have see suggestions that this was not a minor incedent but they have supplied enough to make TONs of methamphetamine (I know they over do it...but still).
The extradition request was based on conspiracy, because the prosecutors could make the argument that this was an action that had a US nexus. Only 2 counts of the 82 in the indictment, however, mention conspiracy. The rest are the standard List I restrictions, together with the toss-in use of communication facilities, none of which survive ordinary jurisdiction concerns.

Conspiracy requires at least two conspirators, whose have planned in advance of action to take some action. Simply selling goods is not conspiracy. Selling goods with awareness of potential illegal use is not conspiracy, since there's no knowledge of what any particular customer is doing. Selling goods with allegations of illegal use is not conspiracy (but getting closer), because allegations may be correct or incorrect (and it's considered acceptable for law enforcement to lie during an investigation). Only after a customer has informed the seller of their plans for illegal use does it rise to the level of conspiracy.

I am not defending these chemical sales as a societal good. I am defending justice, which has been breached here, as a societal good.
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watson.fawkes
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[*] posted on 18-11-2009 at 08:11


Quote: Originally posted by Jor  

From that link, I read at [46]:
E.mails were said to have been sent to the respondents alerting them to the fact that their chemicals were being used to manufacture methamphetamine. An e.mail warned that it was VERY illegal to sell red phosphorus to the United States without a license. Advice was said to have been given by e.mail to KNO3 in August 2005 by law enforcement in California advising that its iodine crystals were being used to manufacture methamphetamine in the United States. Examples were given of United States law enforcement officers following up KNO3 orders to their destination in the United States and finding methamphetamine labs with the chemicals sent by KNO3 in packages with false descriptions of their contents. A saved website which gives a recipe for manufacturing methamphetamine from red phosphorus and iodine was found on a KNO3 computer.

If these statings are indeed true, KNO3 has been very irresponsible! If really warnings have been send, KNO3 should have stopped selling at all to the US, especially RP, wich is known to be a regulated chemical for reasons (meth, direct precursor to phosphorus chlorides, CWC regulated chems).
Whether you judge them irresponsible depends on your opinion of how to regulate and/or influence the drugs industry. But there's an important distinction here. Allegations made by law enforcement that materials sold by a vendor are being used illegally does not have any legal status. That word "advice" basically means "do as we say", regardless of the actual illegality of the underlying sale. If that's conspiracy, then it's a conspiracy between the vendor and the law enforcement agency, because that's where the communication lies.

This issue is one of due process of law. That's the term of art in the US, where it's in the Fourteenth Amendment: "nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law". The principle here is universal, though. It says that the state may not take arbitrary action without following the rules. And arbitrary action is the essence of tyranny. If a law enforcement merely "advises" someone of a fact, there's no process behind it. There's been no trial of fact before a judge, and the truth of such an allegation must not be assumed simply because a law enforcement agency says it. In the present case there's no particular reason to believe that law enforcement was lying, but that doesn't alleviate the burden that, if you want proper notification of facts, it requires judicial approval, since that's the result of the process.

Even notification, though, in the present case, doesn't push the actions into conspiracy. It does push them into a category of knowledgeable sales, which themselves are illegal under the diversion regulations. But such knowledgeable sales are only illegal within the jurisdiction of the statute, which in the present case includes the US and does not include the UK. So while the prosecutors were trying to elevate the nature of the sellers into a new crime, they did not properly succeed. Simple notification, even a proper one, does not create a US nexus for jurisdiction, and the notification that did take place wasn't even proper enough for that.
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