National Forensic Doctor-Chapter 960 - 896 Suspect

There are many ways to determine if circuit boards are the same; the simplest is to check the serial number and manufacturer identification.

This point, after Huawei released their new CPU, many self-media platforms adopted this approach. However, when manufacturers or assemblers deliberately conceal or etch away the serial numbers and identifiers, or when they are missing due to explosions or fire, this method becomes very limited.

Compared to checking serial numbers and manufacturer identifiers, scanning the features of a circuit board or simply using image recognition technology is slightly more complicated. This kind of technology sounds incredibly powerful, but in reality, it’s quite unreliable when put into practice. It’s generally only effective within the manufacturing facility; once outside, especially in the field of criminal investigation, database issues can drive people crazy.

In the real world, there are many ways to identify and confirm identical traces, and what truly hinders technological progress is actually database technology.

This includes the same identification of footprints, shoeprints, palm prints, firearms, DNA, mitochondrial DNA, tire tracks, and so on, all of which are plagued by database issues.

Software is easy to develop, but the data in the databases must be manually entered by police officers.

Over the years, only the databases for fingerprints and DNA entries have some level of assurance. Other types of databases are mostly maintained independently; they are definitely not user-friendly.

Therefore, Jiang Yuan has tried the technology for scanning circuit board features; it’s proven to be either useful or not useful.

In the end, Jiang Yuan still resorted to analyzing the arrangement and combination of components one by one. To speak more professionally, it involves observing the arrangements of specific components and connectors.

Circuit boards of the same model can have similar components and connectors, but there are differences in the placement and layout of components on circuit boards made by different manufacturers.

Additionally, it’s easy to assume that circuit boards produced by different manufacturers will have different components. Many components also have identifiers that might not necessarily be erasable.

The circuit boards recovered by the investigation team were already in a shattered state, so in the end, it was only possible to determine the model of the circuit board through the components themselves and the arrangement and combination of the components—firstly determining the manufacturer of the circuit board. For most of the forensic investigation, this step would generally complete the work.

In most cases, police would go directly to the manufacturer and let the manufacturer’s technical staff determine the model of the wreckage. The method remains the same; it’s just that manufacturers have more complete blueprints and are more familiar with their own circuit boards.

Jiang Yuan did similarly; after confirming the manufacturer, he immediately sent people there, and then on-site, in the manufacturer’s computer, they searched for the same model and checked the sales records.

Next, police officers flew to several stores to extract and investigate further sales records.

Three days later.

At 3:30 in the morning, the ring of the phone woke Zhang Zhenghui from his sleep.

Zhang Zhenghui sat up, still in a daze.

The person beside him also turned over and looked at the watch, resignedly saying, "Has there been so much going on recently?"

"As long as it’s not bad news," Zhang Zhenghui shook his head and answered the phone, "This is Zhang Zhenghui..."

"We have determined the suspect’s location," came the voice from the other end of the phone, the chief of the city bureau, Deng Jiabin.

Zhang Zhenghui instantly became alert: "Determined the location directly?"

He had gone to conduct further research just yesterday, which essentially meant overseeing the investigation, and at that time there was still no news of the suspect.

"Yes." Chief Deng Jiabin affirmed, saying, "The suspect used cash when purchasing circuit boards, but the cash register records the time of transactions. We found a crossroad with facial recognition surveillance on the day the suspect walked by, and then confirmed the suspect’s identity with the shop owner."

Zhang Zhenghui was actually quite familiar with these investigative techniques and, upon hearing this, he uttered a "hm," his expression growing even more serious as he asked, "What is the suspect’s background? How does he possess the relevant technical knowledge?"

"The suspect, Ji Haitao, comes from a rural background, 68 years old. He likely learned how to make explosives during militia training in the past. Additionally, he has records of using the external internet, likely having also learned some relevant techniques." Deng Jiabin’s reply was direct, he presented the main points before continuing, "This Ji Haitao has worked as a construction worker and has experience with blasting in mines; he has also led his own construction team. The motive for the crime this time is very likely robbery."

Zhang Zhenghui exhaled sharply. A suspect robbing for gain meant that their anti-social tendencies were probably not that strong. His biggest fear was a suspect causing explosions arbitrarily, and this had been his greatest concern over the past few days.

Deng Jiabin knew the thoughts of his superior and continued, "The deceased wearing the explosive vest, we preliminarily judge to be Ji Haitao’s accomplice. According to eyewitness accounts at the scene, the two had entered the finance office, presumably intending to use the explosive vest for a robbery, but whether they got any money and why the vest exploded is still unknown to us."

Zhang Zhenghui responded with another "hm". A 68-year-old suspect, even if in good health, would find it difficult to rob a gambling house alone, and it would not be easy to control another person, so having an accomplice was indeed a reasonable guess.

"Does he still have explosives in his possession?" Zhang Zhenghui asked.

Deng Jiabin: "In this regard, our inferences are similar to before. He likely still does. However, Ji Haitao has not shown a tendency to make explosives himself; he mainly obtains materials through certain channels. From this perspective, the amount of explosives he has shouldn’t be too substantial. Also, Ji Haitao’s financial situation is quite average, so the explosives he used this time might even be leftovers from before."

Zhang Zhenghui knew Deng Jiabin was trying to reassure him, but his mood did indeed ease somewhat. Looking at his wife, who was sleeping restlessly beside him, Zhang Zhenghui got up, phone in hand, and while walking out, he asked in a deep voice, "How do you plan to capture the suspect? What’s the situation at the scene?"

"Ji Haitao’s rented apartment is located in An Yue Bay Community on the outskirts, a 28-floor high-rise with a tower structure, consisting of small units. There are many neighbors all-around, six households on the same floor, all occupied. One of them is even shared by several tenants. There should be over twenty people on a single floor." Deng Jiabin only mentioned the residents on the same floor, not those above, but this was enough to give Zhang Zhenghui a strong sense of crisis.

"We cannot arrest him inside the residence," Zhang Zhenghui asserted decisively. "Either lure him out with a ruse for capture... or see if you have any other plans."

Zhang Zhenghui was quite progressive, not directly dictating a course of action, but the route of arresting inside the residence, he firmly vetoed without a doubt.

Deng Jiabin also anticipated this. Although, at this point in time, secretly dispatching personnel to sneak into the suspect’s residence and apprehend him was an option, the risks involved in this approach were undeniable.

Even with all kinds of advanced technological equipment, such as thermal imagers and night-vision devices, you can never predict how the suspect might store or handle explosives.

If this person had a touch of paranoia—though now it could hardly be called paranoia—and rigged the explosives with some strange switch or trick, or even set up a booby trap on the door, that would be a serious problem.

But luring someone out was also likely not so simple. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Deng Jiabin couldn’t guarantee success, he could only say, "I’ll go to the scene and command the operation right away, and will clearly convey your instructions!"