KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: The women suspected of fatally poisoning a scion of North Korea's ruling family were trained to coat their hands with toxic chemicals then wipe them on his face, police said Wednesday, announcing they were now seeking a North Korean diplomat in connection with the attack.
Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters that authorities are searching for two new North Korean suspects, including the second secretary of North Korea's embassy in Kuala Lumpur and an employee of North Korea's state-owned airline Air Koryo.
"We hope that the Korean embassy will cooperate with us, allow us to interview them and interview them quickly," he said. "If not, we will compel them to come to us."
He said North Korean suspects placed toxic liquid on the hands of the women, who then wiped it over the face of Kim Jong Nam, the long-estranged half brother of North Korea's ruler, in a departure area of Kuala Lumpur's budget airport on Feb. 13.
The substance used remains unknown, but it was potent enough to kill Kim before he could even make it to the hospital.
Khalid said the women knew they were handling poisonous materials during the attack, and that they had been instructed to wash their hands. He said surveillance video footage showed both walking away from Kim with their hands away from their bodies.
Practice
He said the women had practiced the attack at two Kuala Lumpur malls.
"We strongly believe it is a planned thing and that they have been trained to do that," he told reporters.
Khalid couldn't confirm whether North Korea's government was behind Kim's death but added, "What is clear is that those involved are North Koreans."
Police have already arrested four people in connection with the attack: a Malaysian, a North Korean and the two women, who are Indonesian and Vietnamese.
At least one of the women has said she was tricked into attacking Kim Jong Nam, believing she was taking part in a comedy prank TV show. Khalid rejected that claim, saying, "This is not just like shooting a movie."
Police are looking for another seven North Korean suspects in connection with the attack, including the two announced Wednesday. The embassy official and the airline employee are among three North Koreans believed to remain at large in Malaysia.
The four other North Koreans are believed to have fled Kuala Lumpur shortly after the attack. Khalid said authorities believe they are back in Pyongyang, and that they are the ones who provided the toxin.
"That's why we asked the North Korean Embassy to trace them and hand them over to us." He said, though, that Malaysian authorities had received no help so far from North Korea.
