Traces of the deadly poison ricin have been found in vials stashed in a locker at one of the main train stations in Paris, the first time it has been found on French soil. Police found the poison, which has been used before as a bioweapon, in two vials in a locker at the Gare de Lyon station on Monday after being alerted by a telephone call from the state railway company SNCF. The locker contained "two vials with a powder, a bottle filled with a liquid and two smaller bottles also containing a liquid," the French interior ministry said in a statement. The two smaller bottles contained "traces of ricin in a mix that turned out to be a very toxic poison," it said. Ricin is a naturally occurring toxin found in castor beans and is one of the most vicious naturally-occurring poisons. The discovery was made public by French authorities after the launch of the US-led war against Iraq but a source close to the investigation said it did not appear there was a link. A judicial source said tests of the substances in the bottles — discovered as part of a French security plan under which station lockers should be checked at least every three days — were expected to be completed in a few hours.
They're probably right that it's not connected to Iraq. It's connected to the same enemy, though... |