Australia - Canine cops hit the beat

[enquirewithin]

The Northern Territory police force has been given a boost in its sniffer department.

Four drug detector dogs named Foley, Archie, Leo and Yona have graduated from police dog school today.


The dog's powerful noses are now trained to detect cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, kava, ice and other illegal substances.

The training process for the young labrador retrievers and their handlers included customs training in Canberra.

Drug detector dogs first joined the NT police force in 2004.

And the Northern Territory police's Assistant Commissioner Mark McAdie said there are seven drug dogs now operating in his narcotics team.

"In a short span on time the dogs have become an essential part of our strategy for dealing with drugs in the Northern Territory," he told the ABC.

The dogs will hit the beat in Darwin and Alice Springs.

Today two of the Territory's oldest four-footed officers also retired from active service.

Drug detector dogs Monte and Misty have together completed six years of service seeking out illegal substances in the Territory.

Together the pair have located more than 100 kilograms of cannabis, 300 grams of amphetamines and about 300 LSD tablets.

Both the dogs will retire to live with their handlers.