Andrew Parkinson leads the Australian Federal Police’s (AFP’s) forensic work, which falls within the AFP’s Specialist Operations portfolio. The portfolio is comprised of a large number of specialist forensic and intelligence disciplines, including: crime scenes investigation, firearms identification and armoury services, biological and chemical criminalistics, identification sciences including fingerprint and facial identification, document sciences, imagery and geomatics, digital forensics, audio and video analysis, counter terrorism and rapid response, disaster victim identification, weapons and technical intelligence, forensic intelligence and forensic drug intelligence.

In conversation with PolicingTV Founder and Publisher, Bernard Rix, Andrew identifies and discusses his Forensic and related career highlights to date. He focuses on two particular assignments, both with significant international relevance. Firstly, a long-term, covert and multi-national investigation into transnational and serious organised crime allegedly responsible for large scale illegal drug trading. And secondly, the investigation into loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. MH17 was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian-controlled forces on 17 July 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew, including 38 Australian citizens and residents, were killed.