The Police Kennels Division has acquired 35 sniffer dogs from the Netherlands at a cost of Rs. 58 million. The dogs were airlifted to Bandaranaike International Airport early yesterday morning.
The dogs were purchased from the private livestock farm “K-10 Working Dog” in the Netherlands and include Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd, and English Spaniel breeds. Of the 35 dogs, 14 are male and 21 are female. Notably, two female English Spaniels are pregnant, and a Belgian Malinois had undergone breeding.
A senior police official mentioned that the Police Kennels Division previously imported sniffer dogs in 2018. Police Media Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa was present at the airport’s animal quarantine unit to receive the dogs.
A team of Veterinary Medical Officers and Police Kennels Division officers had visited the Netherlands to examine the dogs. The dogs, aged between 8 and 12 months, will undergo three months of training before being assigned to Police Kennel Units nationwide. They will be primarily used for anti-narcotic activities in the Western and Southern Provinces, as well as in “Yukthiya” operations. These 35 sniffer dogs will join the existing 372 sniffer dogs in the Police Kennel Division.
OIC Airport Police CI Elmo Malcolm Pate organized the takeover and dispatch of the dogs to the Police Kennels Division.
