A vial containing the potentially deadly radioactive poison “polonium-210” was discovered yesterday by two men in Vaihingen an der Enz, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, during an Easter egg hunt in the garden of a private residence.

According to the Ludwigsburg police, the investigation is being conducted by the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment.

Initially, it was not certain that the vial labeled “polonium-210” actually contained the substance. However, all necessary safety measures were taken for its transport, and today it was announced that, based on its weight and appearance, it is most likely the radioactive poison.

At the location where it was found, radiation measurements were negative, and the two men who discovered it are in good health.

According to the police, the Ministry of the Environment is responsible for examining the contents of the vial, while its origin and how it ended up in a garden on the outskirts of a small town near Stuttgart must also be investigated.

Polonium is a chemical element with high radiotoxicity and is therefore extremely harmful to health.

According to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), the substance is particularly dangerous when inhaled or absorbed through the skin via open wounds.

Alexander Litvinenko died in London in 2006 after an attack involving this substance.