• Inspector Ameer Mohamed cracks tough cases with a magnifying glass and sharp eye

IN the often-unseen corners of crime-solving, where justice hinges on the precision of a fingerprint or the curve of a letter, Detective Inspector Ameer Mohamed quietly stands as one of the Guyana Police Force’s most formidable experts.

Known among his colleagues as “the guy with the microscopic eyes,” Inspector Mohamed has dedicated over a decade to mastering the intricate fields of fingerprint and handwriting analysis, disciplines so specialised they remain a mystery to most within law enforcement.

With fifteen years of service, twelve of which have been spent at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Inspector Mohamed has helped unravel hundreds of complex cases.

Since 2016, he has served as the head of the Fingerprint and Handwriting Analysis Unit within the Force’s Crime Laboratory, playing a critical role in advancing forensic investigation in Guyana.

His journey began on June 14, 2010, when he enlisted in the Force and was posted to the Tactical Services Unit for anti-crime patrols in Essequibo.

But it was during a Crime Scene Investigation course in 2012 that he found his true calling: fingerprint analysis.

From there, he joined the CID’s Crime Lab, where he worked under the mentorship of then-Deputy Superintendent Rafeek Alli and learned to manually classify fingerprints, a tedious and demanding task in the absence of advanced equipment.

But Mohamed’s natural aptitude quickly became evident. He processed hundreds of prints daily, developing a sharp eye and a keen sense of detail that would define his career.

In 2016, he was selected to attend an Advanced Fingerprint Examination course in North Carolina, where he impressed instructors with his ability to make accurate identifications using just a magnifying glass — outpacing even those using digital forensic tools.

Promoted to Corporal shortly thereafter, Mohamed continued to expand his skillset. When the Force’s longtime handwriting expert neared retirement, Mohamed was chosen for specialised on-the-job training in handwriting analysis, a field that examines the authenticity of written documents.

He later completed additional training in Questioned Document Examination with the Canadian Security Services, enhancing his ability to detect forgeries in everything from contracts and wills to cheques and threatening letters.

“Some of the most commonly forged documents in Guyana include last wills and testaments, cash vouchers, contracts, and powers of attorney,” Mohamed explained. “When you solve a crime involving handwriting or fingerprints, it’s an amazing feeling.”

His innovations didn’t stop at analysis. Mohamed introduced a clearer, more illustrative method of presenting evidence through detailed comparison charts and sketches, making courtroom testimony easier to understand and more effective in securing convictions.

His contributions have supported major investigations locally and regionally, including in St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, and St. Martin.

Mohamed’s exceptional service has not gone unnoticed. He was named Runner-Up Best Detective for CID Headquarters in 2021 and again in 2024. He has also received the Top Performer award in the Crime Laboratory for six consecutive years. And even as the Guyana Police Force modernises with high-tech forensic equipment, he remains one of the few experts capable of manual fingerprint classification, a skill that continues to prove invaluable.

Yet, Mohamed’s impact extends far beyond the lab. A committed mentor, he has trained hundreds of crime scene investigators in fingerprint processing techniques, ensuring that his knowledge shapes the next generation of forensic professionals.

Outside his forensic work, Inspector Mohamed is also a respected sportsman, captaining the Headquarters’ cricket team of the Guyana Police Force. Under his leadership, the team won back-to-back titles in the Commissioner’s T20 Cricket Competition in 2024 and 2025, an unprecedented achievement in the tournament’s history.

For Inspector Ameer Mohamed, forensic science is more than a career, it is a calling. With every fingerprint he examines and every forged document he deciphers, he brings clarity to confusion, order to chaos, and justice to the people of Guyana. In a world increasingly reliant on technology, his precision, dedication, and passion serve as a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most important tool is the trained human eye.