Genetic Genealogy and the analysis of DNA samples are happening almost everywhere but here is an application of DNA analysis that I never thought of before:

A burglar broke into an apartment, cooked a meal and then stayed the night

Police found dead mosquitoes and blood marks on the wall enabling them to trace the thief using his DNA

Two mosquitoes have helped police in China catch a burglar after they bit and drank his blood which was then used in DNA testing to find him.

On June 11, in Fuzhou, Fujian province, southeastern China, a thief broke into a residential compound at around 1pm. The thief stole several valuable items, according to a report released by Fuzhou Public Security on its WeChat account.

After breaking in, the burglar cooked eggs and noodles before spending the night. He used a blanket in the owner’s bedroom and lit mosquito coils. Police found two dead mosquitoes and blood smears on the living room wall.

The police quickly came to the conclusion that the two blood stains had been left by the suspect as the property was freshly painted, and reasoned that if they were left by the occupants, they would have cleaned the walls.

Blood samples were then taken off the wall by police, who subsequently sent it for DNA testing against their records.

The DNA sample matched exactly that of a known criminal, surnamed Chai, who was later detained on June 30.

After being questioned, Chai confessed to the break-in and four other burglaries.