KINIGUIDE Police have confirmed that an extremely toxic chemical substance was used in the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Citing a preliminary analysis from the Chemistry Department of Malaysia, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said the substance was identified as ethyl s-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate or “VX nerve agent”.

VX, Khalid had affirmed, is listed as a chemical weapon under Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention Act 2005 and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) 1997.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), last week, had cited an expert on chemical weapons who suggested that VX gas may have been used to kill Jong-nam.