Police investigating the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian former spy, have found traces of a radioactive substance on board two British Airways airliners.
The police found "very low traces of a radioactive substance on board two of the three aircraft" that they wished to search, the airline said in a statement on Wednesday.
British Airways said in a statement that all three B767 short haul aircraft planes would remain out of service for forensic testing until further notice.
Litvinenko, a former Russian agent who became a leading critic of Vladimir Putin died of radiation poisoning in a London hospital last week.
Aircraft investigated
Two of the planes are at London's Heathrow Airport and the third is in Moscow and has not been checked yet, the airline said.
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"This is to assess if there is any risk to public health"
British interior ministry
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BA said it has been advised that the risk to public health was low.
But it said it was contacting customers who had flown on the planes, which operate within Europe.
In a separate statement, the Britain's interior ministry said that investigators have "started tests on two aircraft at Heathrow Airport [in London] and are making arrangements for a third plane to be tested."
"This is to assess if there is any risk to public health," it said.
Litvinenko, a former Russian spy, died last Thursday of radiation poisoning.
Significant amounts of radioactive Polonium 210 were found in his body.