"The work being carried out is extremely important. Not only are we trying to solve an extremely serious crime that has been committed, but we're also working to identify any potential outstanding risks to the public; all whilst ensuring that all those involved in the search process are not themselves exposed to any risk of contamination," Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, National Lead for Counter-Terrorism (CT) Policing in the UK said.
According to the police statement, to date, more than 400 exhibits have been obtained as part of the Amesbury investigation, of which a significant number are "potentially contaminated and have been submitted to DSTL labs for analysis."
"However, searches are still expected to continue for several weeks, if not months as officers look to identify any other potential sites or sources of contamination, as well as gather further evidence to assist with their investigation… Work is ongoing to establish whether the nerve agent is from the same batch as used in the attack against Sergei and Yulia Skripal in March, and this remains the main line of inquiry for the investigation team," the statement added.
This includes the small bottle that was retrieved from the address on Muggleton Road and which detectives now believe is the source of the contamination of 45-year-old Charlie Rowley and 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess.
READ MORE: Independent Verification of Agent in Amesbury Not Transparent — Russian Embassy
Earlier on March 4, former Russian intelligence agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping center in Salisbury. The United Kingdom and its allies have accused Moscow of having orchestrated the attack with what UK experts claim was the A234 nerve agent, albeit without providing any proof. Russian authorities have firmly denied the allegations as groundless.
