How forensics helped Sharjah Police crack strange cases

sharjah — The Sharjah Police recently received a complaint from a man that he had been attacked by three men. As ‘evidence’, he showed the police some traces of blood at his workplace. The police took samples of the blood, but forensic testing showed that it belonged to a lamb.

When the police confronted the complainant, he confessed he fabricated the story as he “was alone at his workplace” and he thought the “attack story would motivate his employers to hire more people”.

This is one of the several strange cases the Sharjah Police have cracked, thanks to its forensics laboratory.

In another case, a woman was attacked by a man in a lift. When the police started investigating, they found blood stains at the crime scene. On analysing the blood, the police found the man was a wanted criminal. He had stolen Dh700,000 from one place, and committed a slew of thefts. Forensic testing helped the police nab him in no time.

Brig Dr Abdul Al Qader Al Ameri, director of the forensic laboratory of Sharjah Police, said forensics have helped solve many cases related to ownership of inheritance, too. He said the police use DNA to establish kinship in the family, in cases of ownership allegations after the death of the person to whom the property belonged. “This is done by taking a blood sample from the persons and comparing their genetic patterns,” Brig Al Ameri said.

The officer explained that Sharjah’s forensics lab is an advanced one. “The DNA tests conducted at the laboratory have resulted in several scientific achievements. Many international experts have used the DNA results and findings of researchers at the laboratory, and then applied them in their countries,” Brig Al Ameri said.

The police have solved various cases, including murders and other heinous crimes thanks to forensics. “The Sharjah Police are now working on launching a DNA database to include information about detainees and criminals,” said Brig Al Ameri.