<p>Latent fingerprints (LFPs) which can be used as an accurate and dependable tool for the identification of individuals at the crime scene are not easily discernible to distinguish with the naked eye, and require some physiochemical techniques to effectively enhance the quality of the LFPs images. In this work, we have designed a simple strategy for preparing the nanocomposites by in situ anchoring the luminescent Cu₉S₅ nanoclusters onto the surface of the sulfide-functionalized silica (Cu₉S₅/silica), which are used for the detection of the fresh and aged LFPs on the surfaces of various substrates. The Cu₉S₅/silica exhibits a fluorescence emission at 606&#xa0;nm upon 365&#xa0;nm excitation. The fluorescence quantum yield of the Cu₉S₅/silica in the solid state can reach 1.43%, and an excited state lifetime is found to be 863.3&#xa0;ns. Orange clear bright ridge patterns of LFPs with primary, secondary, and tertiary features can be identified by the Cu₉S₅/silica using the traditional powder-dusting method with good sensitivity and high contrast. Furthermore, the Cu₉S₅/silica as a phosphor is successfully used to detect the fresh and aged LFPs on a variety of substrates with non-porous and semi-porous surfaces. These satisfactory results illustrate that the Cu₉S₅/silica has great potential for applications in forensic science.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>