CHENNAI: As the flow of ganja (cannabis) and other undesirable articles continue to breach the high walls of jails, it has been decided that fourlegged security squads should be assigned the task of patrolling the nine Central prisons in Tamil Nadu.
Eighteen dogs of Labrador and Alsatian breeds will be acquired, trained and deployed in the prisons to sniff out narcotic substances and explosives as part of intensified antisabotage measures, Additional DirectorGeneral of Police K R Shyam Sundar told Express on Thursday. "The Government has sanctioned the proposal, and the infrastructure is ready," he said.
Initially, the State Prison Department has plans to buy three pups, three to six months old, from breeders in Chennai and Coimbatore. "The pups will be purchased in a phased manner, as they have to be of good pedigree and three to six months old only," Sundar said.
The Labrador and Alsatian pups will be sent to the Police Dog Squad, where they will undergo training for nine months. Each pup will be specifically trained to sniff out hidden narcotic substances and explosives. The performance of the pups would be observed and assessed and, depending on their skills, they would be categorised, he said.
The prison department hopes to raise the 18member prison canine squad in about a year's time. A Labrador and Alsatian will be assigned to each Central prison, with two handlers for each dog.
The move has been aimed at foiling attempts by visitors, including lawyers, to smuggle contraband into the prison by using ingenious methods like hiding banned substances in pickle bottles, fruits like papaya and footwear, Sundar said.