THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state police will soon add more teeth to its canine unit, better known as the K9 squad, by drafting 38 dogs of various breeds, with nearly half of the new additions intended to be used for detecting explosives and narcotics.
An expert committee will take a final call on the proposal that has been submitted by the State Dog Training School to the State Police Headquarters and the state police chief, sources said. The K9 squad currently has 142 active dogs and the proposal, if accepted in its entirety, will augment the strength to 180.
Suman B S, veterinary surgeon of the K9 squad, said the primary focus will be on procuring German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, which are known for their agility and intelligence. However, with the number of Labradors gradually declining, we are also prioritising them along with Golden Retrievers as second-preference breeds,” Suman said.
The plan is to purchase 12 trackers, 17 explosive sniffers, six narcotic sniffers, two cadaver dogs and one alcohol sniffer. The procurement will be made from central government institutions, such as CRPF, SSB, and BSF. The police department used to purchase dogs from private kennels, but later did away with the practice to avoid buying mediocre pups. The decision to depend on central government institutions fared well as it ensured good-pedigree and proper working class dogs.
Sources said that each dog is expected to cost Rs 35,000-50,000, depending upon pedigree and physical traits. The plan to purchase narcotic sniffer dogs holds significance as it conveys the intent of the department to use canines to detect contraband while it’s trafficked via rail and road. The K9 squad already has 33 narcotic sniffers and the addition of six more dogs would beef up the wing. The chief minister’s office had also shown interest in using police dogs to detect drugs.
The most recent purchase made for the K9 squad was in 2023. The department then acquired eight German Shepherds from SSB’s Alwar breeding centre.