The General Department of Forensics at Dubai Police has recently introduced a specialised forensic entomology database to provide the force’s investigators with solid scientific evidence whenever required.

The move follows the directives of Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, to keep up with the latest of specialised scientific developments in the field of technology, chemistry, physics and criminal sciences.

Major General Ahmad Eid Al Mansouri, Director of the General Department of Forensics and Criminology at Dubai Police, said the database, which was developed in collaboration with the NSF International, relies on the scientific application of insects and other arthropods in criminal investigation. Insects or arthropods are found in a decomposing vertebrate corpse or carrion.

He added these insect colonizers can be used to estimate the time of death i.e.,time interval between death and corpse discovery, also called post-mortem index (PMI), movement of the corpse, manner and cause of death and association of suspects at the death scene.

Maj-Gen Al Mansouri added the database is aimed at helping Dubai Police forensic experts using forensic data based on insects and their larvae morphology, growth histories, species distribution and toxic contents in their tissue in criminal investigation.

Last year, 22 of Dubai Police’s forensics experts, biologists, DNA experts, toxicologists, and crime scene officers took part in an interactive Forensic Entomology course delivered by PhD Jeffrey D. Wells. The course included a practical scenario for the presence of larvae, insects and eggs according to the natural environment of the UAE. As well preparing animal samples that were developed in two ways, including samples from the internal environment, specifically at the temperature of houses and rooms to determine the actual time of production of larvae.