Plastic bag processed for prints

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The exterior and interior of plastic drug bags as well as the items contained within can be processed successfully for latent fingerprints.

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The plastic bag is placed inside a fuming chamber that has first been heated.  This process permanently fixes the fragile latent to prevent future destruction. The item or items are allowed to fume for a maximum of two (2) minutes.
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Once fumed, perform a visual inspection of the bag to see if any ridge detail can be observed.  Powder can be applied with a magnetic wand or with a standard fingerprint brush.

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If any ridge detail is developed, it should first be photographed to permanently preserve the evidence.  A tape lift can be attempted in order to recover the latent.

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The tape lift is then applied to a backing card and all pertinent information is recorded on the back of the lift card.
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