Canines trained to detect explosives, find narcotics
● THE PERFORMANCE of both canines and canine handlers is evaluated through tests on a monthly basis.
The two-day 20th batch of basic induction course for canines and canine handlers began here on Monday. Training has been imparted to 50 canines of five different breeds in explosives sniffing as also narcotic identification and tracking, along with 80 canine handlers/spare handlers, for eight months.
As many as 669 canines and 965 handlers/sparehandlers have been trained since 2004.
The trainees in this batch are from Telangana and Bihar states. The basic training course for canines and canine handlers has an eight-month duration. The course includes a love and affection training for two months, basic obedience training for two months, and a specialised category training, explosive/ narcotic/liquor sniffing, tracking, assault and guarding for four months.
The performance of both canines and canine handlers is evaluated through tests on a monthly basis.
The agility tests of the canines are conducted on a daily basis. “If any canine shows mediocre performance, extra care is taken by instructors to improve their performance.” Mock drills are conducted with a view to having a real-time experience for the canines in sniffing activities for explosive, liquor and narcotic detection in public places like bus stations, railway stations and airports,” explained the police officials involved in the exercise.
They said a mid-term test and a final test are conducted in explosive/narcotic sniffing and tracking for the canines. A written and oral test is conducted for the canine handler by a visiting faculty called in other reputed training centres. This year, Dr P.K. Chug, consulting director of police K-9 cell PM Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi, is an examiner for the final test.
These canines are being used widely for anti-sabotage checks during VIP/VVIPs visits, attending to bomb threat calls and in crime investigation.