Although the exact nature of the active chemical has not been verified, the Russian language newspaper Gazeta claimed that the chemical used had been 3-methylfentanyl, attributing this information to "experts from the Moscow State University chemistry department."
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Prof. Thomas Zilker and Dr. Mark Wheelis, interviewed in the BBC's "Horizon" documentary series, dispute that the gas could have been based on fentanyl.
Furthermore, following the Moscow theater hostage crisis in October 2002, where 129 of 800 hostages were killed by an unknown chemical agent employed by the authorities to incapacitate the hostage-takers, he proposed that similar gas should also be used by German police to fight terrorism.
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During Moscow theatre seizure, Movsar Barayev and some 40 men and women led by him (dubbed the "29th Suicide Division" that also included members of two other Chechen rebel groups, brought together by Shamil Basayev) were killed in a raid by Russian special forces units Alfa and Vympel after having been incapicated by the chemical attack that has also killed at least 129 of their hostages.