Dubai Police 'reconstruct' weapon to crack murder case

The force turned to technology to identify a weapon used in a fatal attack

Dubai Police were alerted to a fatal road accident in the emirate on Monday. Antonie Robertson / The National

While crime scene reconstruction is a time-honoured technique used by police across the globe, reconstructing a murder weapon is perhaps more unusual.

But when Dubai Police sought to solve a murder mystery, forensic scientists explored all avenues to track down the killer.

The victim was stabbed several times in a vicious gang attack but several blades were found at the crime scene.

The forensic science and criminology team got to work solving the puzzle and, using a silicone-based casting material technique on the victim's body, experts were able to capture the exact size and shape of the blade that caused the fatal wound.

They compared the silicon cast with knives found at the scene to identify the murder weapon, on which they found the fingerprints of their suspect.

“The force is keen on seeking excellence and innovation in all fields of police work, including forensics and criminology, and on using all resources to uncover cases and identify perpetrators accurately to bring them to justice,” said Maj Gen Ibrahim Khalil Al Mansouri, assistant commander-in-chief for criminal investigations affairs at Dubai Police.

Dubai Police did not disclose any other details about the case.