NT$18,000 Forensics Tests to solve theft of NT$59 Bottle of Yogurt

A university student in Taipei City forced police to run DNA tests to identify which one of her roommates consumed a bottle of drinking yogurt valued at NT$59 dollars. The tests are estimated to have cost the public NT$18,000, according to an Apple Daily report.

The woman who is unnamed in the report, left the bottle of yogurt in the refrigerator in the house she shares with 5 other roommates of the private Chinese Culture University. After finding the empty bottle of yogurt in the trash can, the woman angrily confronted her roommates, but none of them owned up to drinking the yogurt.

The woman then reported the theft to police and insisted they run forensics tests, including fingerprint and DNA analysis to identify the culprit.

Police said the fingerprint tests were unsuccessful, due to the bottle being wet when handled. A DNA swab was performed on the rim of the bottle, and the 5 roommates were called in to the station to have DNA samples collected. A sample was also collected from the complainant.

One of the female roommates was identified as the thief, and now faces charges of theft, according to the reports.

Each DNA test is estimated to have cost NT$3,000, adding up to NT$18,000. Police complained that the cost was out of proportion to the value of the item stolen and constituted a waste of forensic resources.

However, police had no choice but to respond to the theft report and follow procedure in order to protect the rights and interests of the public.

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