Chinese police catch burglar with DNA from mosquitoes that bit him

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 11 June, 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, reports South China Monitoring Post.

The door was closed from the inside when the police arrived, and they discovered the thief had entered the apartment from the balcony.

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 30 June.

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

Many people commenting on the WeChat post were amused that two dead mosquitoes served as the primary piece of evidence in the case and were surprised by how brazen the thief was.

"How dare he spend the night at the scene," one person said. "This person really has serious psychological issues."

Another jokingly said: "It's revenge from the mosquitoes; I was wrong to think that mosquitoes are useless."

DNA tracing is often a key tool for police in China in solving crime.

Zhejiang police in eastern China arrested a 69-year-old woman in June for throwing a corncob from a high-rise building that struck an eight-month-old baby in the head by comparing saliva samples with residue on the corncob.

According to statistics from Chongqing police, in recent years, more than 10 per cent of criminal cases resolved by them have relied on DNA technology for crucial evidence.