Indonesian National Police Medical Centre Successfully Matches DNA of Virgo Ship Victims

The Indonesian National Police Medical Centre (Pusdokkes Polri) has successfully matched the DNA of victims from the Virgo Transport 8 ship, which were previously sent by the South Kalimantan Regional Police DVI unit to be tested at the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Laboratory of the Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.

“A total of eight victims have been identified thanks to DNA sample examinations,” stated the Head of Medical and Health Services of Pusdokpes Polri, Brigadier General Dr Sumy Hastry Purwanti, in Banjarmasin on Friday.

Hastry acknowledged that DNA testing is the final step taken when remains cannot be identified through medical characteristics or personal belongings alone. She noted that the DNA testing procedure is a time-consuming process before results are obtained.

“The victims identified through DNA testing were part of the first batch sent to the DNA Laboratory some time ago,” she added.

The eight victims identified via DNA testing, as reported by the Head of Medical and Health Services of the South Kalimantan Regional Police, Kombes Pol dr Much Sofwan, are Yudis Tri Kurniawan, Tigi Dadang Prayugi, Sulisman, Kumaedi, Aji Albani, M. Syahril, Imam Buhari, and Zaenal Walad Husen.

“The remaining victims are still in the process of identification from the DNA samples that we have sent to Jakarta,” he said.