No more VX nerve agent in Malaysia: Police chief

KUALA LUMPUR — Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today that no more VX nerve agent has been found in Malaysia, after revelation it was used in the alleged assassination of Mr Kim Jong-nam.

“We will know if there is (more),” he was quoted saying by news portal Malaysiakini.

VX is a powerful neuro-toxin that is used exclusively as a weapon. The substance has no taste or smell, making it difficult to detect save for its slightly reddish hue.

Last month, Malaysia had declared its international airport a “safe zone” after completing a sweep of the terminal where the Jong-nam was assaulted with the chemical labelled a “weapon of mass destruction” by the United Nations.

Mr Khalid also said that the police would not breach any international protocol and rules to apprehend suspects of the murder who are said to be inside the North Korean embassy here.

He admitted that the embassy has not responded to Malaysia’s request to hand over the suspects to the police.

“It’s all right, we have all the time,” he reportedly said.

On Monday, All-Nippon News Network, operated by Asahi TV, aired the one-minute video footage showing the suspect resembling Kim Uk-il, busy playing a game with a few others on the second floor of the embassy building in Jalan Batai, Bukit Damansara.

Apart from Uk-il, the police are also looking for other suspects, namely the embassy’s second secretary, Mr Kwang Hyon-song, 44, who was still “hiding” at the embassy building, as well as Ri Ji-u, 30, also known as James, still believed to be in the country.

Mr Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was killed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 on February 13, allegedly with a lethal chemical weapon called VX nerve agent, according to Malaysian police.

Two foreign women have been charged with his murder. MALAY MAIL ONLINE