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Lab didn't tell police 22 vials stolen

Former researcher in U.S. custody accused of cross-border smuggling

By: Jen Skerritt

15/05/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 8

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(FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

WINIPEG – No one from Winnipeg's National Microbiology Laboratory bothered to report the theft of 22 vials of biological material to police, despite an international uproar over a former researcher accused of smuggling the substances across the U.S. border.

On Wednesday, scientific director Dr. Frank Plummer confirmed RCMP alerted lab staff about the stolen materials on May 5 -- the same day a former vaccine researcher was arrested by FBI special agents after U.S. Customs discovered the vials stuffed in a glove in the trunk of his car at the Manitoba-North Dakota border crossing.

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Some of the vials included genes from the deadly Ebola virus, but local scientists say the material is not infectious.

Konan Michel Yao, 42, faces U.S. criminal charges for smuggling and is currently in the custody of a U.S. marshal.

The vials are considered government property, and Plummer initially said the matter was referred to Winnipeg police.

But on Thursday -- more than a week after the theft came to light -- police said no one from the lab has reported the incident.

"Right now, we're not investigating it," a police spokeswoman said, noting the theft falls within Winnipeg Police Service jurisdiction because it occurred within the city.

Lab officials did not respond to calls from the Free Press on Thursday.

The latest revelation comes one day after senior lab officials admitted they had no idea that 22 vials of biological substances were missing from the high-security facility for close to four months.

Plummer has said the researcher signed a form declaring he did not steal anything from the lab and understood he was not allowed to. The national lab does not conduct searches of staff when they exit the lab and does not routinely take inventory of the thousands of vials containing non-infectious biological substances.

Court documents allege the former researcher stole the vials on his last day of work at the virology lab in January because "he did not want to start his research over from the beginning when he entered into his next fellowship" with the National Institutes of Health at the Biodefense Research Laboratory in Maryland.

Mary Ellen Kennedy, former director of Health Canada's office of biosafety, said the incident raises questions what kind of security protocols the National Microbiology Lab has in place and how they're handled. Although Kennedy said there's a core group of longtime scientists who work at the lab, there are also researchers and PhDs who come in to work on projects for a short period of time.

She said it might be a good idea to screen temporary staff differently to guard against future theft.

"The Americans seem to be pursuing it and it's unclear what we're doing as Canadians. In a very broad sense, I think we're behind the U.S."

Kennedy said Americans developed very strict biosecurity protocols post-9/11 and have agencies and personnel to enforce them that don't exist in Canada.

Dr. Tom Ksiazek, former chief of special pathogens with the Centres for Disease Control in the U.S., said the CDC ensures vials of non-infectious materials are accounted for, but that scientists do not keep as strict controls on them as they do for infectious agents.

Ksiazek said it appears the incident has more to do with intellectual property and ownership of research than it does with security protocols. He said researchers must fill out request forms to transport biological material with them if they are leaving one lab to take a job in another.

Though most facilities are accommodating, Ksiazek said there can be delays, as legal departments in both labs have to clear the transfer and the paperwork. He also said some individuals feel they have a stake in the research, and that it wouldn't be the first time a scientist took a vial of his work with him.

jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca

 

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 15, 2009 A5

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8 Commentscomment icon

Okay so there is 22 vials, "some" contain ebola virus genes. Why would he need these for another job? What do the other vials contain? How are we certain vials aren't harmful? He snuck them to the U.S. for a reason. This is an obvious cover up. Yah, yah, the U.S. has strict protocols. They are so corrupt. Can't trust our own government either.

Wow,

former director of Health Canada's Biosafety office makes a total fool of herself. Has no clue what she is talking about. Screening temporary employees. Here is a bid of news. The virology lab is doing that! Everybody is screened. This guy took harmless stuff for crying out loud. It's a stupid theft story. It's like going to your local garden store and stealing tomato seeds. Did he get Ebola? NO! Did he get dangerous stuff? NO! Did he have access to the dangerous bugs? NO! Why not? Because the security system of the lab was working. Plain and simple. The lab secures stuff that is dangerous. They have thousands of vials with harmless stuff. That is not a security issue.

Maybe the so called "Free Press" in Winnipeg also needs a reality check and better reporting.


Some of the vials included genes from the deadly Ebola virus,
but local scientists say the material is not infectious.

Doesn't anyone read the article. I'm sure that the people who run these labs know more about their biological substances than anyone who has commented here. It's just the 24 hour news cycle at work. The press are just looking to make a huge story out of something as do the USA's FBI special agents to advance their careers. It's all about show and not substance. Hell, look at the way the huge Drug Swat teams attack a simple drug bust. Innocent people have been killed due to their insane judgment and reckless assaults. Leave that for Hollywood. Friends son doubles his salary by being on the swat team and participating in these drug raids. Loves beating up on those helpless addicts and taking everything away from them. The "War on Drugs" is a sham, waste of money, and a total failure.

Good one! That'll put Winnipeg on the map. The 'who to hate' map that is. Yippee.

Why report it they have lied all along. A drug store can tell to the pill what they have in stock but in this case when someone steals something that could kill all of us they don't even know it. What a great system close the barn doors after all the cows are gone. I want to know the back ground on this guy Like how long he's lived in canada did he have a background check. and a lot more but the gov won't tell us and even if they do it will be all lies look at the past news and then a week later the story changes

Maybe this individual should be charged with espionage? I'm not sure of the legality and what he did or did not "own" in terms of IP... but if it all belonged to the federal government and he was taking a job at an American federal lab... wouldn't that be stealing government property/secrets? I'm not a lawyer though... but just think for a second about what he may have been offered at his new job, and what his new employer might have asked him to bring along... all unfounded accusations i know.. but interesting

How does a lab that handles the world's deadliest viruses not have the most stringent security protocols in Canada? This incident will be cannon fodder for the American press and politicians, who will accuse both the Winnipeg Virology lab and Canada as being lax on security, and rightfully so. Employees at this facility better hope not one single test tube has gone unaccounted for besides the ones we know about. This lab can expect a monster set of new security protocols.

Criminal acts by both the thief and those who didn't report the crime.....

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