12 pooches join Sindh’s police force

KARACHI: The Sindh police has imported 12 sniffer dogs from Germany in a bid to develop more effective methods of tracing hidden explosives and terrorist groups.

The German Shepherds and Labradors, aged between five months and one year, were imported at a cost of Rs5 million. They have been handed over to the Special branch and are being trained by experts from the Pakistan Army at the Garden police headquarters. Barracks have been set up to house these additions to the police force.

The dogs will be able to trace explosives and terrorists after being trained for a period between six months to a year.

The K-9 unit, named after a famous television show based on the life of a robotic dog, will soon be inaugurated by IG Sultan Salahuddin Babar Khattak. Hotels in Karachi already use sniffer dogs to help with vehicle checks. The army also has its own dogs.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2010.