A Gold Coast man charged over the death of a 43-year-old man who ended his life with a veterinary drug is accused of running a backyard euthanasia operation that may be connected to more suicides.

Homicide detectives began investigating the death of the 43-year-old man from Hope Island after a toxicology report indicated he had died from acute pentobarbitone toxicity, a veterinary euthanasia drug.

Gold Coast Detective Inspector Mark Mooney said a “large-scale and complex” investigation led police to three people – a 53-year-old Main Beach man, an 81-year-old Southport woman, and an 80-year-old Ashmore man – who allegedly supplied the victim with the life-ending veterinary drug.

The 53-year-old man from Main Beach has been charged with two counts of aiding suicide and one count each of t

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