KOCHI: Impressed by the breed’s tracking and attacking abilities, the Kerala Police is preparing to induct yet another batch of Belgian Malinois dogs into its K9 Squad. According to police officials, the department has already called a tender for the supply of 12 Malinois puppies, aged around 2-3 months, for the K9 Squad. The first batch had proved to be an exemplary addition to the team, officials said.
It was in December last year that five Malinois puppies, along with dogs of some other breeds such as Beagle, Chippipara and Kanni, were inducted into the Kerala Police dog squad for the first time. Dogs of the Malinois breed are widely used by military and police forces in various countries across the world. In fact, the breed shot to international fame after one of them helped the US special force hunt down ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The little daredevil is said to have chased down al-Baghdadi to the dead end of a tunnel in Syria.
“The Belgian Malinois is an excellent breed. They are very intelligent and have the ability to efficiently carry out various policing tasks,” said B Sandhya, Kerala Police Academy director and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP). The first batch of Belgian Malinois was trained at the Academy’s dog training centre in Thrissur. The passing out ceremony was held in October. “They are given special training before inducting them into the police squad,” said an officer. The first batch will become part of the Anti-Terrorist Squad and Thunderbolt and will be deployed on anti-Maoist operations.