Malaysian health minister confirms that the nerve agent acted quickly by blocking the heart and lungs. The two women arrested thought they smeared "baby oil" on Kim's face and were taking part in a television prank. One was paid with 80 dollars.
Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) - Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong- suffered a "painful death", with paralysis of the entire body in 20 minutes from the February 13 attack at the airport of Malaysian capital. This was confirmed by Malaysian health minister Subramaniam Sathasivam.
Kim was killed by a lethal dose of VX nerve agent that two women smeared on his face, as is evident from airport CCTV footage. An autopsy revealed that he died of a "serious paralysis."
Subramaninam also explained that "a lethal dose of VX takes only 10mg to absorb." In the case of Kim Jong-nam it was so fast that in a few minutes he already showed the symptoms of paralysis. The nerve agent blocks an enzyme that regulates the functioning of glands and muscles. Without the enzyme, muscles contract and "the heart and lungs stop immediately." "From the time of the attack - said Subramaninam - [Kim] died within 15-20 minutes".
The Malaysian police have arrested the two women who smeared the powerful poison on Kim's face, along with the boyfriend of one of the two and a North Korean. The search is on for seven other North Koreans, including the Secretary of the Embassy of North Korea in Kuala Lumpur, Kwang Hyon-song.
One of the women, the Indonesian Sites Aisyah, 25, said she had received 400 ringgit (about $ 80 US) for spreading what she believed was "baby oil" on Kim's face, thinking it was for a television show. The other woman, the Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 29, said she thought she was taking part in a televised prank.