text: A 16-year-old boy who was seized in an anti-terror operation after he tried to buy deadly poison on the internet has been spared jail after the court heard he wanted to commit suicide. The teenager from Mossley, Greater Manchester, who cannot be named for legal reasons, ordered the deadly toxin off the 'dark web'. He was unaware his online requests were being tracked by covert counter-terrorism officers who feared he was planning an attack. The teenager pleaded guilty to trying to buy the toxin at Manchester Youth Court earlier this month. A 16-year-old boy who was seized in an anti-terror operation after he tried to buy deadly poison on the internet has been spared jail after the court heard he wanted to commit suicide . But he claimed he was attempting to buy the deadly poison because he wanted to commit suicide and was sentenced to a 12 month referral order. Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit started investigating the teenager in January when they received information that he was attempting to obtain the poison. Officers were in contact with the boy over the dark web - a subsection of deep web which is not indexed by standard search engines so users are less likely to be monitored. During their covert communication he expressed an interest in buying the poison and also showed an awareness of its toxicity and potential for use in causing harm. The teenager pleaded guilty to trying to buy the toxin at Manchester Youth Court (pictured) earlier this month . The 16-year-old  attempted to place an order on February 6 and also suggested he would make future purchases in larger quantities. Officers raided two homes in Tameside on February 16 and the 16-year-old boy was arrested. A 16-year-old girl was also arrested as part of the investigation but later released without charge. The dark web is a subsection of the deep web - the part of the internet that does not show up in searches or on social media. Most of the information on the web is far down on dynamically generated sites, unable to be found or seen by traditional search engines. The dark web is used as a way of sharing information and trading goods, but the anonymous and encrypted nature of it has attracted large amounts of illegal activity. The Silk Road website, and its successor that were recently shut down, was used to sell drugs in exchange for Bitcoins. Other dark net sites let users share pornographic photographs, hacked information and credit card numbers. Det Sgt Russell Stubbs said after the case: 'The teenager at the centre of this investigation is clearly a vulnerable, troubled young man and I hope now that this case is concluded he can get the help and support he needs to turn his life around. 'Thanks to the vigilance of officers from a number of different law enforcement agencies, we were able to intervene before this young man did get hold of such a deadly substance from a genuine seller. 'I want to reassure our communities that the North West Counter Terrorism Unit and local police are well aware of the potential dangers associated with internet activity on the 'dark web'. Law enforcement agencies use a range of investigative techniques to monitor and police unlawful internet activity. 'I would also urge parents of children to keep a very close eye on what their children are doing. Security measures are available to block certain sites and if you suspect your child is spending too much time on the Internet and you notice sudden changes in their behaviour then please report it. 'As in this case, the sooner we are able to identify someone either at risk or using the 'dark web' for criminal purposes the better chance we have to consider appropriate intervention options.' Last year, a graphic designer who fantasised about poisoning her mother after she forbade her from marrying the man became the first person to be prosecuted under the Biological Weapons Act. Kuntal Patel, from Stratford, east London, had wished her 'selfish and controlling' mother Meena Patel dead after the 61-year-old was 'hell-bent' on breaking up her engagement, a court was told. During the trial at Southwark Crown Court, the court heard the 37-year-old contacted a dealer in the U.S through the 'dark web' and said she needed a 'tasteless' and deadly toxin to get her mother 'out of the way'. For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here.
target: Boy, 16, from Greater Manchester ordered deadly toxin  off the 'dark web'
  Anti-terror officers tracked order as they feared he was planning attack .
  He was arrested and pleaded guilty to trying to buy deadly poison .
  But was spared jail after he said he wanted to use toxin to commit suicide .