The National Police Agency will install automatic DNA analyzers at four prefectural police headquarters to speed up the process of identifying victims during disasters, NPA officials said.
The analyzers, which can examine a massive number of DNA samples simultaneously, will be provided to the Hokkaido, Saitama, Osaka and Fukuoka forces by the end of March. The installation was prompted by the extensive efforts needed to analyze the tremendous volume of DNA samples in the wake of last year's disasters.
The ability of the four analyzers roughly matches that of the existing analyzer at the National Research Institute of Police Science in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture.