Overview

• The technician, a man in his 40s at the prefectural forensic lab, was dismissed and referred to prosecutors on suspicion of falsifying official documents and destroying evidence.
• He handled 632 DNA cases since 2012, with investigators confirming 130 instances of improper conduct from 2017 to 2024.
• Police identified nine cases where documents falsely indicated testing had been performed with no DNA detected, and four cases where leftover evidence was lost and replaced with new items.
• Re-testing of 124 preserved samples produced eight results that differed from the originals, but none identified individuals, and police said investigations and trials were unaffected even in 16 cases already sent to prosecutors.
• The misconduct surfaced after a paperwork defect was noticed in October last year, prompting an internal review, supervisory cautions within the department, and a national directive to police agencies to strengthen safeguards.