A Canadian company which has developed a system for matching fired bullets with weapons used during crimes, opened its European manufacturing and support headquarters in Blackrock, Co Dublin yesterday.
Forensic Technology, a subsidiary of the Walsh Automation Group, has developed what is known as the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) which, it claims, has revolutionised ballistic testing worldwide.
The system is computerised and electronically compares the unique markings left by firearms on bullets and cartridge cases and matches them with suspect weapons.
The system is used extensively by police forces in the USA and Canada.
Yesterday's opening ceremony was conducted by the Canadian ambassador, Mr Michael B Philips. Members of the Garda ballistics division were in attendance. The company intends to expand its European markets from Ireland and will employ 10 people initially, doubling this within two years.
Each IBIS system is capable of comparing 1,000 bullets in just one hour and, when sold from the Republic to police forces worldwide, will cost approximately £400,000 a unit.
The chairman of Forensic Technology, Mr Robert Walsh, said: "The far-reaching potential of IBIS can best be illustrated by a recent case in New York where the police department recovered shells from 10 different guns at one homicide scene."
A Garda spokesman said the force had no immediate plans to buy the system and was "quite happy" with the current technology used in the ballistics section.
