CSI Afghanistan: Solving murders in the country's first and only forensics unit The Criminal Techniques Department tackles 300 new cases a month It has just one bullet-matching machine that is 30 years old Only 20 per cent of Afghans realise that fingerprints can identify them Despite having expensive, specialised forensics equipment and highly trained scientists and police, developed countries still struggle to solve some murders. In Afghanistan, the job is even harder. Corruption is rife, the war masks a lot of the violence - and there's only one forensics unit in the country. It's called the Criminal Techniques Department (CTD) and writer Roc Morin, under military escort, paid a visit to its headquarters in Kabul and met the dedicated staff helping to bring law and order to a turbulent society. Dedicated: The CTD's staff tackle around 300 new cases a month Firearms taken for ballistics testing are stashed in racks, ranging from vintage rifles to assault weapons Corruption: The unit's director, Col Ayaz, admits that some people escape justice because of who they know One case the team there tell him about involved a headless body that had been left in the middle of a road. A note pinned to the chest read: "Anyone who attends this man's funeral can expect the same fate." In the end, plenty of people turned up to it, because the CTD's document-exploitation expert, Noorullah Sangarkhil, with the help of a $98,000 machine that analyses handwriting, matched the writing on the note to a suspect that had been arrested. According to the director of forensics, Colonel Ayaz, another case is being hindered by corruption. He told Morin: "I can show you one case. A female was killed by a government official. He denied it, of course, but through the fingerprint on the gun, we found that this person killed the female. We sent that information back to the court. However, the suspect is still free. Col Ayaz added: "He has power, so he is still playing around the country, still free. In this country, some of the criminals go to jail and some go free because of the people they know. Col Ayaz admitted, though, that they are helped by the fact that only about 20 per cent of the country realises that fingerprints can help establish guilt. And the director himself didn't even know what DNA was until four years ago. The CTD was established in 2003 by NATO and its 102 technicians tackle 300 new cases a month. They desperately need more equipment. One technician told Morin that they need about 10 bullet-matching machines, but only have one that was a present from Germany - and it was 30 years old when it arrived. Tech: The CTD's equipment, although old, has still helped to solve some murders Most Afghans don't know that fingerprints can identify them Identifying counterfeit currency, such as this fake $100 bill, is also part of the unit's role There have been several incidents of Afghans turning on Nato troops in recent years, but Morin explained that the technicians at CTD are highly trusted, as evidenced by the fact that his Nato bodyguards took off all their armour once inside the building. US Senior Advisor David Jacobson told him: "These are good guys who care about what they do. I mean, they actually show up for work every day, which in this country isn't always the case. This extract first appeared at Vice. For more about Roc Morin visit his website at www.rocmorin.com.