Hong Kong customs’ 4 detection dogs report for duty to sniff out firearms, illegal goods at airport
- The Labrador retrievers work with frontline customs officers to find illicit incoming goods at air cargo terminals and air mail centre
- The dogs are trained to recognise and detect distinctive odours of three particular substances that make up firearms and ammunition
Four Labrador retrievers have reported for duty to help customs sniff out firearms and component parts at Hong Kong’s airport.
The four dogs – three males and one female – started working alongside the frontline officers and X-ray machines in shifts to detect illicit incoming goods at the air cargo terminals and air mail centre.
Customs previously imported dogs to help carry out their work but the coronavirus pandemic prompted the branch to bring forward a breeding plan to train them locally. Dogs under the programme were born in July 2020. They underwent basic training after birth and were put through another 10-week detection training upon turning one.
Gasper and Nicky, who are both a year old and graduates of the programme, are on the job for the first time and join Wrangler and Quick, both aged six, who were previously tasked with identifying drugs.
Revealing the newcomers on Wednesday, Superintendent Joy Wong Sek-yan of the customs canine force said combating illicit movement of firearms and light weapons remained a priority and the dogs would help boost manpower for counterterrorism work.