A potentially radioactive poison, similar to the substance used by Russia in targeted killings, was found in lieu of chocolate during an Easter egg hunt in southwest Germany. The discovery occurred in Vaihingen an der Enz, near Stuttgart, on Easter Sunday. The item, labeled as “Polonium 210,” was located in a small plastic bottle in a residential garden. Two individuals found the vial and promptly contacted emergency services, leading to a significant response involving 138 emergency personnel and 41 service vehicles. Fortunately, both men remained unharmed.
While the exact contents of the 50-milliliter vial are yet to be confirmed, suspicions point to polonium-210, a rare and highly radioactive isotope known for its lethality if ingested or inhaled. This substance has been linked to the deaths of Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The vial, weighing approximately 200 grams, bore an official label with the substance’s name, raising concerns about its nature.
Despite the initial absence of radioactivity in on-site tests, authorities from the Environment Ministry have taken possession of the vial for further analysis. Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, tragically passed away in 2006 after being poisoned with polonium-210 in London. Similarly, Arafat, a prominent Palestinian figure, reportedly succumbed to the same substance under disputed circumstances in 2004, triggering ongoing inquiries into his demise.
In a separate development, in 2012, Switzerland’s Institute of Radiation Physics detected traces of polonium-210 on belongings belonging to Arafat. Subsequent investigations, including the analysis of soil and bone samples from his burial site, suggested a potential link between the substance and his death. These findings were documented in a detailed report published by Al Jazeera in 2013, indicating a plausible connection between polonium-210 poisoning and Arafat’s demise.
