COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu state police department is enhancing its sniffer dog squad by recruiting 35 dogs to bolster measures against narcotic drug smuggling across the state. Training for the newly inducted dogs is currently under way in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai.
A Amalraj, the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) for the Enforcement Bureau CID, told TNIE that all city and district sniffer dog squads, as well as the Narcotic Intelligence Bureau (NIB-CID), have been instructed to conduct frequent checks at locations where narcotics are smuggled, such as railway stations and bus stands. He stated, "Strengthening the dog detective squad will help us curtail the narcotic drug supply network."
In October 2024, the state government issued an order to purchase 35 pups for the Narcotic Intelligence Bureau, allocating Rs 53 lakhs for the recruitment of one narcotic detection dog each Nagapattinam, Vellore, Tiruppur, Tirunelveli, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Dindigul, Dharmapuri, Avadi, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kanchipuram, Salem, Cuddalore, Krishnagiri, Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Ariyalur, Tiruvarur, and additional support for Madurai and Theni. Dr PK Senthil Kumari, Inspector General of Police (Crime), stated that the NIB-CID currently has 13 narcotic dogs assigned to Perambalur, Theni, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Chennai Railway Police (2), Chennai City, Coimbatore City, Madurai City, and Tamil Nadu Commando School.
17 sniffer dogs are currently undergoing training- seven in Chennai, eight in Coimbatore City, and two in Madurai City. Training for additional four dogs will commence soon in Chennai.
Furthermore, the department plans to purchase 14 more pups. The NIB units and regular police dog squads across the state have been instructed to conduct frequent checks to curb the smuggling and transportation of narcotic drugs", Dr Senthil Kumari said.
Police personnel from Coimbatore City's detective dog squad & training centre (K9) confirmed that these dogs will be inducted into service after six months training, and they will work until they are eight years old. Previously, the department used to purchase various breeds, including Doberman, German shepherd, Labrador retriever, and some native breeds. However, they now prefer Belgian Malinois, as these dogs perform better in detecting crime, narcotics and as well as in explosives.
"The purchase of a dog includes multiple tests based on its parentage, and training is tailored to the specific tasks the dog will perform. For these narcotic detection dogs, we provide systematic training using drugs and substances seized from other cases. However, detecting odourless drugs remains a challenge," they said.
