A Growing Force in Law Enforcement, Applied DNA Sciences Scores Second Policing Award

STONY BROOK, NY--(Marketwire - Jun 2, 2011) - Applied DNA Sciences (OTCBB: APDN) together with the Lancashire police, UK, has won its second policing award in nine months. The award spotlights the company as a growing force in combating serious theft, and is fast growing a reputation for skilled, force-friendly collaboration with police in several countries. In just the past year, the company has played a central role in a new anti-intruder program in Sweden where the company plans to protect banks, ATMs, pharmacies, jewelries, department stores and others. It has formed an agreement to distribute its anti-theft products in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and has continued to play an instrumental role in slashing cash robberies in the UK.

The coveted "POP" award ("Problem Oriented Policing") was given on May 18 to both the Lancashire Constabulary, a police force in the Northwest UK region, and APDN.

The award focused on a vicious cash robbery outside the city of Blackburn in December, 2008 in which a security guard was shot. The robbers were convicted after a lengthy investigation, in which evidence from APDN's SigNature® DNA-marking system played a key role. This system is triggered when DNA strong boxes are opened incorrectly: DNA-infused dye then explodes, staining the bills and clothing of the thieves. Sure enough, some weeks after the robbery and shooting, the gang leader Colin McCash tried to pass off DNA-marked notes at a service station in the adjoining town, and was quickly identified.

As it turns out, the Blackburn case was only the first where SigNature DNA has been used to authenticate stolen cash and convict thieves. To date, the technology has been a key in twenty-one other convictions, totaling 122 years imprisonment for convicted thieves -- a 100% conviction rate. Many more cases are currently being processed. The award has special significance in the UK, a country which suffers 77% of the "cash in transit" robberies in Europe. The DNA-marking system has participation by eighteen other UK police forces and has been used in other crime initiatives, such as sting operations.

The Lancashire and SigNature DNA problem-solving partnership initiative competed with eight other candidates, and was judged by a group of four experts associated with Problem Oriented Policing.

As the award highlights, the SigNature DNA technology is one part of a wide collaboration. Playing out in the background is an imaginative and finely orchestrated anti-theft campaign between APDN, the police, cash carrier Loomis UK, and other impacted groups. This initiative has slashed 2010 cash robberies in Lancashire to their lowest level in ten years.

Bob Cummings, Ltd Head of Loss Prevention of Loomis UK, points out that part of the program's impact has been to deter thieves from cash crimes in the first place:
"The deterrence value of DNA is clear -- if you commit a CViT robbery, you will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law... our Zero Tolerance program is clearly removing the criminal element from the streets and keeping our employees and the general public safe."

Cummings, commenting on the award, continues,
"Loomis arevery pleased that by working with Applied DNA Sciences and Lancashire Police that the criminals responsible for the shooting of one of our employees has been brought to justice. Our decision to use the DNA in all our cash boxes in the UK has resulted in the imprisonment of a total of 22 criminals... As the word gets out amongst the criminal community they will understand that if they attack Loomis they will run a very high risk of being caught."

And Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter underlines the program's national and international implications, saying, "This partnership and initiative have challenged the traditional way the police do their business."

Indeed, the work of Lancashire police and APDN is now up for the national UK Tilley Awards, and the International Goldstein Awards, the latter to be held in Miami later this year.

For photos and other media, please see our social media press release.

About APDN
APDN sells patented DNA security solutions to protect products, brands and intellectual property from counterfeiting and diversion. SigNature DNA is a botanical mark used to authenticate products in a unique manner that essentially cannot be copied, and provide a forensic chain of evidence that can be used to prosecute perpetrators. To learn more, go to www.adnas.com where APDN routinely posts all press releases.

The statements made by APDN may be forward-looking in nature and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe APDN's future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of APDN. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to our short operating history, limited financial resources, limited market acceptance, market competition and various other factors detailed from time to time in APDN's SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on December 15, 2010 and our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. APDN undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.