A former KGB spy turned double agent claims he was poisoned on Auckland's Queen St. Kurt Bayer reveals the incredible story of Boris Karpichkov.
On the morning of November 20, 2006, after his now ritualistic daily internet cafe visit, the most stunning aspect of Karpichkov's remarkable story is said to have happened.
Wandering Auckland's bustling Queen St, stopping to gaze in occasional shop windows and check if he was still being tailed, Karpichkov says he was suddenly attacked by a beggar. He had noticed that he was being watched earlier in the day, by men both on foot and in
cars, something that he had recently become aware of, but he didn't know what was happening now. The vagrant was trying for Karpichkov's bag, which contained his laptop computer. They struggled. The ex-spy was kicked before his attacker shaped as if to punch his face. But instead of being struck, there was "some kind of dust-like substance coming out of his hand towards my face".
The beggar, unable to grab the bag, gave up and walked away calmly.
Karpichkov staggered on. He believes he saw one man who had been following him that morning. After walking 50m-200m, he suddenly felt dizzy and almost lost consciousness.
Sweating, he sat and tried to compose himself. His upper body was sore. Around 20 minutes later, shaken and dazed, Karpichkov managed to walk home. He typed a letter to his lawyer describing the attack but that night went downhill again. Cold, feverish, shivering, acute upset stomach.
The symptoms persisted for the next few days before his gut stabilised. But a strange red rash soon spread across his chest. The dizzy spells returned. He started rapidly losing weight — between 25kg-30kg over the next two months. His body hair was falling out. Karpichkov was growing increasingly concerned, and although a GP visit that week offered no explanations, other than the doctor suggesting a "typical stomach flu" and not ordering any blood tests, the old spy started to suspect he had been poisoned.
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