Poison Pistol Of Soviet Murder Group. Shown here is one of the pistols, and a clip of three bullets, intended for use by Captain Nikolai Khokhlov, a staff officers of the Soviet MVD (secret police), and two East German Communist assistants who were sent to Frankfurt to assassinate the leader of the Russian emigre resistance organisation. All three surrendered to the Americans and have granted asylum and protection. The weapon shown has three barrels from which 0.25 calibre (6.5mm) bullets can be fired separately. It is reloaded by slipping in a fresh clip of three cartridges. Ammunition for the gun included poisoned bullets containing half a gramme of potassium cyanide. This pistol is one of four silent pistols with which the men were equipped, two of them being disguised as cigarette cases. All are fired electrically by a 1.5-volt cell. An American ballistics expert said the weapons were the lightest and smalled silenced pistols he has ever seen. 24 April 1954.