332 Public Order
Government Laboratory
The Forensic Science Division of the Government Laboratory provides a comprehensive forensic service to the criminal justice system in Hong Kong. It has two operational groups, the Drugs, Toxicology and Documents Group and the Criminalistics and Quality Management Group.
The Drugs, Toxicology and Documents Group examined cases in three areas. First, the examination of abused drugs, of which the number of cases remained high in 2010, with ketamine continuing to be the most encountered drug, followed by heroin, cocaine, amphetamine type stimulants, cannabis and benzodiazepines. Second, the toxicology service performs urinalysis and toxicological examination. The urinalysis service also saw a continual growth of demand during the year. In addition to providing drug testing in monitoring known drug abusers, the service also supported more frequent drug testing for young drug offenders under a pilot two- year enhanced probation scheme. The toxicological examination service seeks to ascertain the presence or otherwise of drugs and poisons in suspicious deaths and in criminal offences where they are implicated. It provided analytical support to a pilot scheme on hair drug testing starting from June 2010, under which hair samples were submitted by organisations in the drug treatment and rehabilitation sector.
The third area is the routine examination of handwriting and documents. The group also offers technical advice and testing to the Immigration Department in respect of the quality of HKSAR e-passports and identity cards. During the year, the Hong Kong Identity Card continued to be the most commonly forged document, followed by credit cards and Mainland travel documents.
The Criminalistics and Quality Management Group provides a wide range of support services to the law enforcement departments. Services provided include chemical analysis of trace evidence, physical examination of toolmarks and shoeprints, investigation of suspicious fires and traffic accident reconstruction. In addition, the group handles forensic biological samples and performs DNA analysis of exhibits seized from crime scenes. At the same time, DNA profiles of convicted offenders, suspects and volunteers are compared with outstanding DNA profiles of crime scene exhibits in unsolved cases. Comparisons are also performed among outstanding DNA profiles of exhibits from different unsolved cases for possible connection. During the year, matching results from the DNA comparisons continued to provide important investigative leads for law enforcement agencies. In addition, the group deals with cases from the Immigration Department pertaining to right of abode applications that require genetic tests. During the year, the group was involved in the investigation of a number of major incidents, including the open fire case that resulted in the death of several Hong Kong tourists on a coach in Manila in August. Two professional officers of the group travelled to Manila immediately after the incident together with the police officers and carried out forensic examination at the scene. The group also investigated a fire accident which claimed the life of a Senior Fireman in an industrial building at Lai Chi Kok.