Part Of Investigation Into Death Of Former Russian Spy

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 11.29.06 1500 EST: The mystery surrounding the death of a former Russian spy has taken an aviation bent, as authorities grounded three British Airways 767s Wednesday after trace amounts of a radioactive substance were discovered onboard two of the planes in London.

The planes were searched as part of a British investigation into the death of Alexander Litvinenko, who died November 23 in a London hospital from radiation poisoning. Once a KGB and FSB spy, Litvinenko later became a fierce critic of the Russian government. He escaped from Russia to the UK in 2000.

High doses of radioactive polonium-210 were found in his body, and trace amounts of radiation have been found at sites Litvinenko is believed to have visited. Authorities did not specify if the radiation found onboard the planes was from polonium-210.

Authorities plan to contact thousands of passengers who flew onboard three aircraft -- the two planes in London, and a third still under investigation in Moscow -- within the past two weeks.

British Airways stressed the risk to the public is low.

"British Airways has been advised that three of its Boeing 767 short haul aircraft have been identified by the UK government as part of the investigation into the death of Alexander Litvinenko," the company stated. "The initial results of the forensic tests, which was confirmed late this afternoon, has shown very low traces of a radioactive substance onboard two of the three aircraft."

Polonium-210 is highly toxic when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Radiation emitted by polonium cannot pass through the skin, however, so it is not hazardous if it is outside, and away from, the body.

FMI: www.britishairways.com, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium