SPF, HTX, and SAF CBRE DG officers assessing the post-blast scene. (Photo: SPF)
Should terrorists detonate a bomb in Singapore, there’s only a short amount of time for our authorities to apprehend the culprits before they flee the country or stage a follow-up attack. Given the ongoing threat of terrorism, our authorities have to constantly hone and improve their investigation capabilities for bomb blast incidents.
HTX officers assessing and documenting the post-blast scene. (Photo: SPF)
On 31 January 2024, crime scene specialists and bomb technical and investigation specialists, who are forward-deployed HTX officers to Singapore Police Force (SPF), and forensic scientists from HTX’s Forensics Centre of Expertise (CoE) joined their counterparts from the SPF, the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Explosives Defence Group (CBRE DG), DSO National Laboratories, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a post-blast investigation (PBI) exercise at the former Khalsa Crescent Prison (Exercise KCP) at Admiralty Road West.
SCDF HazMat Specialists conducting sampling at scene. (Photo: SPF)
The security agencies have been closely collaborating on post-blast related joint training and exercises, including developing a range of different blast scenarios for their joint PBI exercises, as such exercises help improve their PBI competencies and operational readiness, as well as their multi-agency response and coordination.
Forensic scientists from Forensics CoE with their collaborators from DSO National Laboratories at a recent blast exercise. (Photo: HTX)
At Exercise KCP, the bomb technical and investigation specialists and crime scene specialists planned, coordinated and executed the blast, while the forensic scientists from HTX Forensics CoE demonstrated new capabilities that enabled early access to the scene, on-site screening and detection of post-blast explosive residues and on-site rapid DNA analysis. Forensics CoE is also collaborating with DSO National Laboratories to develop new capabilities and workflows to collect and recover forensic evidence from the debris from such blast scenes.
What does Forensics CoE feel about Exercise KCP? “The exercise was an excellent testbed for Forensics CoE to trial new technologies and demonstrate new capabilities,” shared Lim Chin Chin, the Director of Forensics CoE. She added, “It was also a good opportunity for the Crime Scene Specialists and Forensic Scientists from the Forensics CoE to work together with our colleagues from the SPF, SCDF, SAF, and DSO. The exercise provided a platform for discussions to further develop new capabilities to recover and process forensic evidence from post-blast scenes with dispersed chemical agents.”
