KUALA LUMPUR: The identity of the North Korean citizen killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) on Feb 13 was confirmed as Kim Jong-nam based on fingerprint data obtained from a database belonging to China's authorities.
Records of Jong-nam's fingerprints were kept by authorities in Macau after the deceased and his family lived in multiple undisclosed locations there for their safety.
"Confirmation through fingerprint database is part of the process in identifying the victim in the context of DNA. It can be accepted aside from testing the samples of the victim's tissue, hair and blood with that of his family members," a source said.
It is learnt that aside from China, Jong-nam's biometric data was also kept by other countries following his frequent travels to multiple countries, including Singapore and Japan.
"However, in the context of the case, Malaysian police have been cooperating with their counterparts in China via Interpol. More than 20 police personnel and officers from China have assisted in the process of identifying Jong-nam, as well as in other aspects," the source said.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had previously said police had asked for assistance from Interpol in identifying the victim and denied that a team was sent to Macau to collect DNA samples from Jong-nam's family members.
He confirmed last Friday that the man killed at KLIA2 using the banned VX nerve agent was in fact Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and that he was using a passport under the alias "Kim Chol".
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