XN000022-1990-02-19 — Page 2

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1990

GOVT LAB TO SET UP DNA PROFILING TECHNOLOGY SECTION

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A NEW SECTION WILL BE ADDED THIS YEAR TO THE FORENSIC SCIENCE DIVISION OF THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY TO SPECIALISE IN THE HIGHLY COMPLICATED AND DELICATE TECHNOLOGY OF DNA PROFILING, THE GOVERNMENT CHEMIST, MR LEE NAM-SANG, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

SPEAKING AT A

MEET-THE-MEDIA SESSION, MR (DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID) PROFILING WAS AN EXCITING COULD POSITIVELY IDENTIFY A PERSON FROM ANY SCRAP OF SUBSTANCES.

WE

LEE

SAID DNA TECHNIQUE WHICH BODY FLUIDS OR

"AT THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY

HAVE TAKEN A CAUTIOUS APPROACH, WAITING FOR CONSENSUS AMONGST THE FORENSIC COMMUNITY FOR STANDARDISATION OF THE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES INVOLVED,' HE SAID.

"WE ARE PRESENTLY GEARING UP IN TERMS OF STAFF TRAINING

TO INTRODUCE THE TECHNIQUE INTO CASEWORK WITHIN 1990,"

FACILITIES ADDED.

THE

AND

HE

GOVERNMENT LABORATORY PROVIDES A WIDE VARIETY OF ANALYTICAL, INVESTIGATORY AND ADVISORY SERVICES TO ENABLE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TO MEET THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR LAW AND ORDER, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, GOVERNMENT REVENUE AND CONSUMERS' INTERESTS.

THE FORENSIC SCIENCE DIVISION OF THE LABORATORY PROVIDES TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES SUCH AS THE POLICE, CUSTOMS AND EXCISE, IMMIGRATION AND THE ICAC IN THE INVESTIGATION CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES, MR LEE SAID.

OF

**WITH THE RECENT INCREASE IN THE USE OF FIREARMS IN ARMED ROBBERIES, THE ANALYSIS OF GUNSHOT RESIDUES HAS BEEN TAKING UP OVER A THIRD OF THE AVAILABLE INSTRUMENT TIME OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED MICROSCOPE IN THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY, THE SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE, HE SAID.

"

HE NOTED THAT FUNDS TOTALLING $3 MILLION WERE RECENTLY APPROVED ΤΟ PURCHASE A NEW SCANNING MICROSCOPE WHICH WOULD HAVE THE SOPHISTICATED FACILITY OF ANALYSING GUNSHOT RESIDUE AUTOMATICALLY DURING UNATTENDED NIGHT HOURS, THUS DOUBLING THE AVAILABLE USE-TIME OF THE INSTRUMENT.

THERE WAS A 34 PER CENT INCREASE IN THE EXAMINATION OF EXHIBITS USED AS EVIDENCE FROM 5,694 IN 1988 TO 7,671 LAST YEAR. THE ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS IN COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY CASES INCREASED MARGINALLY FROM 5,238 IN 1988 TO 5,394 IN 1989.

MR LEE POINTED OUT THAT WITH THE RECORD NUMBER OF DRUG SEIZURES LAST YEAR, THE SECTIONS OF THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES HAD A BUSY TIME EXAMINING LARGE QUANTITIES OF HEROIN AND OTHER DRUGS.

/"NO REVIEW