International Espionage

Georgi Markov was a well-known Bulgarian novelist and playwright.  He was also a communist dissident that escaped to England.   While in England he was a broadcaster with the broadcasting from BBC World Service where he frequently targeted the communist party. 

 On September 7, 1978 Georgi Markov was waiting for a bus when he felt a sting in his thigh.  That evening he became very ill and he died three days later.  Initially death was declared due to septicemia.  On autopsy a small pellet was found in his thigh.  After investigation the cause of death was changed to murder.  Murder by ricin, delivered through a pellet that was implanted under the skin by a specially designed umbrella.   

The most frequent exposure to ricin in the US is through the ingestion of castor beans in small children.  Fortunately, castor beans are very hard, extremely difficult to chew and hard to digest.   Seldom are children every injured. 

 

Here is a brief paper on Georgi Markov that explains the toxicity of ricin.