KUALA LUMPUR: A preliminary report from the Chemistry Department has indicated that a highly toxic chemical known as ‘VX Nerve agent’ was utilised to kill Kim Jong-nam.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the chemical substance had been identified as ‘Ethyl S-2- Diisopropylaminoethyl Methylyphosphonothiolate.
He said the Royal Malaysian Police’s Centre for Chemical Weapon Analysis carried out preliminary analysis on a dry swab from the victim’s eye mucous, as well as a separate dry swab from the victim’s face.
“The chemical substance of the exhibits has been identified as Ethyl S-2- Diisopropylaminoethyl Methylyphosphonothiolate or ‘XV nerve agent,” he said in a statement today.
VX is listed as a chemical weapon under Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention Act 2005 and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) 1997.
Khalid said the other exhibits involving the case are still under analysis.
Mystery surrounded the substance used in the attack on Jong-nam at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) on Feb 13. The incident occurred while he was waiting for a flight to Macau.
He died en route to the Putrajaya Hospital.