Toad poison may have killed a Russian businessman

Image caption Alexander Sobotin died after allegedly using frog poison to treat a hangover

Billionaire Alexander Sobotin, 43, a former director of LukOil, was found dead over the weekend by two shamans after a ritual that allegedly used frog poison to treat a hangover in Mytishchi, Russia.

According to the Daily Mail, the billionaire had visited shamans Magua Flores (real name Alexei Bendyurin) and Tina Cordoba (Christina Tekhrib), to undergo a healing ritual. The ritual consists of opening a small incision in the skin and adding frog venom to treat hangover symptoms.

However, the businessman reportedly felt ill and complained of heartaches. The shaman decided not to call an ambulance and gave the businessman Corvalol [uma espécie de sedativo]. After that, the shaman had put the businessman to sleep in the basement, where he was later found dead.

“The primary cause of death was cardiac arrest,” the Russian police investigating the case said. In the past three monthsEight millionaires from Russia have died under mysterious circumstances.

frog poison

Varius frog poison is used in mystical rituals and is known for its narcotic effects.

In the ritual, a frog of a rare species from the Sonoran Desert, which stretches from northern Mexico to the states of California and Arizona in the United States, is used. The animal secretes a highly anesthetic substance known as 5-MeO-DMT.