The Belgian authorities have announced that the substance contained in a dossier sent to Prime Minister Alexander De Cro contained the deadly poison poisonstrychnine.

The prosecutor’s office in Brussels said the substance sent last November was strychnine. An employee of De Cro’s office who had opened the envelope received hospital care for injuries to his hands after opening the letter.

The incident had occurred on November 22, two days after similar packages were found in the office of Interior Minister Annelis Verliden and at the headquarters of the state security agency. Another person was quarantined as a precautionary measure, according to the Guardian.
Another person was also taken into custody to prevent further violence.

De Croix said he felt relieved that no one was injured and that “in cooperation with the police, we are closely monitoring the situation.”

On Thursday, De Crowe’s spokesman said the poison letters had apparently shocked the prime minister and his staff. “Our colleague is fortunately now well and at that time all procedures were strictly followed to avoid further damage,” the spokesman said. “However, this cannot become the new normal,” he added.

What is strychnine

Strychnine is an odorless white poisonous powder that can cause muscle spasms, cardiac arrest, organ failure and death. The dramatic convulsions it can cause in high doses have inspired such crime novel writers as H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie.