A Dutchman has been arrested for selling the coronavirus online so that people can give themselves the deadly virus.
The man, who was arrested by the Dutch financial police, was also reportedly selling infection tests as well so that people could verify that they had been infected once they had given themselves the virus.
The suspect, who has not been named due to strict local privacy laws, was reportedly selling the virus on a website that has since been shut down, according to the anti-fraud unit at the Ministry of Finance (FIOD) in the western, coastal Dutch city of The Hague.
Buyers were reportedly able to buy the SARS-CoV-2 virus, also known as COVID-19, for just EUR 33.50 (GBP 28.52) online and would receive a test kit along with it.
The website reportedly promised that the virus would not be older than three months, reassuring buyers that it, therefore, had “the latest mutations in variants”.
Potential buyers were promised that after self-infection and recovering from illness, the health authorities would issue a health pass certificate for those who had recovered, according to the FIOD.
The suspect has reportedly been released.
An FIOD spokesperson said: ” further investigations must show whether he has sold something and, if so, how much and whether it works at all.”
The authorities also warned people against infecting themselves and said: “Those who deliberately infect themselves are culpably endangering public health.”
It is currently unclear if the suspect faces any charges.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: James King, Agency: Newsflash
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