LONDON — British police said Friday that a 16-year-old boy was in custody on suspicion of involvement in five acid attacks that were carried out by two male suspects on a moped the previous evening within the space of 72 minutes. All five victims suffered injuries in the attacks, though none of them were in life-threatening condition. Speaking to LBC radio in the wake of the attacks, Metropolitan Police chief Cressida Dick said: "Acid attacks are completely barbaric. Jaf Shah of the Acid Survivors Trust International said acid attacks had "effectively doubled" in the past year and that that the possession of corrosive substances should carry the same penalty as knife possession to avoid an "explosion" of such crimes. But the National Police Chiefs' Council said it is virtually impossible to ban the sale of all corrosive substances because many are household products, such as bleach and drain cleaner, which are available over the counter.

Source: The China Post July 15, 2017 00:00 UTC