BHUBANESWAR: Odisha’s Crime Branch (CB) has added some new members to its K-9 club, the majestic sprinters and hunting breed called the Mudhol hound. To add more ‘teeth’ to its search operations, apprehension of suspects, tracing narcotics drugs and detecting explosives, the agency has got nine superbly keen-sensed canines to help its officers.
Out of the nine canines, three are of the famous Mudhol hound breed inducted into Odisha Police for the first time. The Mudhol hounds, native to north Karnataka’s Bagalkote and Vijayapura districts, are swift runners and have great stamina. Recognised by National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) and Indian National Kennel Club, they are said to be extremely brave and loyal.
Sources said the CB got three Mudhol hound puppies from Karnataka’s Canine Research and Information Centre (CRIC). Currently, their tracking and detection skills are being developed at Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Force’s National Training Centre for Dogs (NTCD) near Panchkula in Haryana. Three handlers of K-9 Squad are also stationed at NTCD.
The Mudhol hounds are already part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Special Protection Group (SPG), Indian Army and paramilitary forces in different parts of the country. The indigenous breed had first hit the headlines in May 2018 when PM Modi said they were going out to protect the nation with a new battalion.
To give more teeth to its K-9 Squad, the CB has also got six puppies of Belgian Malinois breed from Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Rajasthan and they are also receiving training at NTCD.
Highlighting the importance of Belgian Malinois in law enforcement, the CB said Cairo, a dog of the same breed, had helped the US Navy Seal team to track and kill Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.
While two Belgian Malinois puppies are receiving training to trace narcotics drugs, four others are getting readied to detect explosives. Six handlers of the K-9 Squad are also camping at NTCD.
CB sources said Mudhol hounds and Belgian Malinois puppies are over six months old. The Mudhol hound and Belgian Malinois puppies will receive training for nine months and six months respectively. Once the canines return after training, they can be very handy in detecting explosives, especially in districts affected by left-wing extremism (LWE).
As it is not easy to get Mudhol hounds from CRIC, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh police forces reportedly contacted the CB to know about the procedure to obtain the puppies of the same breed from the southern state.
“With the induction of new breeds like Mudhol hound and Belgian Malinois, Odisha Police currently has 52 canines in its K-9 Squad out of the sanctioned strength of 59. More canines will soon be inducted to fill the vacancies. Plans are also afoot to modernise the K-9 Squad and improve the training centre in Odisha,” said CB IG Shefeen Ahamed.
Recently, the CB’s K-9 Squad received plaudits after its only search and rescue dog named ‘Storm’ was sent to landslide-ravaged Wayanad district in Kerala.
NEW BREEDS
The CB has also got six puppies of Belgian Malinois breed from Sashastra Seema Bal in Rajasthan
The dogs are being trained at National Training Centre for Dogs at Panchkula in Haryana