Dubai: A buried weapon discovered in a remote area helped the Dubai Police solve a homicide case by analysing tool marks examined in the victim’s bones and cartilage.
Major General Dr Ahmad Eid Al-Mansouri, director of the General Department of Forensics and Criminology at Dubai Police, said they were able to provide reliable evidence for the Dubai Public Prosecution to proceed with the adjudication by using micro-CT (computed tomography) scan. “The successful application of micro-CT tool mark analysis reflects Dubai Police’s keenness on keeping pace with the latest technologies in doing police work,” Al-Mansouri said.
How the crime was solved
Lieutenant Eng. Mohammad Al-Shamsi, Head of Firearms and Tool Marks Section at Dubai Police, said Dubai Police received a report of a corpse found in a remote desert area in Dubai. “A specialised team was immediately dispatched to the crime scene, but they were unable to find the murder weapon anywhere near the scene,” he noted.
Investigation led to six suspects who attacked the victim with white weapons (knives) over a dispute. “The suspects intentionally buried the crime tools in a different remote area to mislead detectives and divert investigation,” Al-Shamsi said. He noted it was impossible to identify fingerprints on the discovered knives due to natural erosion and humidity. “At first, it was impossible to link crime tools either to the suspects or the case. Therefore, the evidence was handed over to Dubai Police’s forensic analysts who specialise in tool marks in human bones and cartilage,” he added.
“After collecting tool mark prints from the victim’s wounds and bones and comparing them to the weapons, specialists were able to link them to the murder case and provide convicting evidence that could stand in court and serve justice” Al-Shamsi said.
