BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhuanet) -- China's first 'scent bank' connected to a police dog research center has helped solve numerous crimes in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province.

    Wednesday's Nanjing Daily says the bank is collecting scents of known criminals and from crime scenes.

    Song Zhenhua, a researcher from the institution and founder of the bank, says that police collect smells from the scene of crime and then compare them to samples in the scent bank. He says this type of forensic evidence has helped police identify 23 criminal suspects

    To guarantee precise identification, Song says, three police dogs are required to have the same reaction to a particular scent.

    Song said they have so far collected about 500 samples and each sample is kept refrigerated at -18 degrees Celsius.

    "This way the scent sample is maintaining its 'freshness' for at least three years," Song said. Enditem