The Security Inspection Administration, K9, at the Abu Dhabi Police participated in the fourth international forum on the use of sniffer dogs, organised by the World Customs Organisation, in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

During the forum, discussions were held on the experiences of several participating countries in the use of sniffer dogs, as well as their exchange of knowledge while presenting the best-related practices.

K9 has a leading role in the UAE’s security and safety, through their use of the best and latest international practices to train sniffer dogs for many duties, to serve the police and security authorities.

Brigadier Jamal Juma Habash, Director of K9 at the Abu Dhabi Police, affirmed the desire of the administration to monitor developments and participate in all relevant local and international events.

He added that K9 has managed to discover new sets of skills for sniffer dogs, such as training them to detect the presence of Palm Weevil and support the work of police patrols. It also contributed to the search and rescue operations following the earthquake in Afghanistan in 2008, in Indonesia in 2006 and 2007, and in Pakistan in 2005, and is the official patron of 10 European tournaments and the representative of the UAE in the 'European Sniffer Dogs Tournament' in Budapest in 2008, as the first Arab country to participate in the event, Habash continued.

Major Gharib Al Saadi, Head of K9 in Al Ain, explained that the most popular breeds of sniffer dogs used by the department are German Shepherds, Labradors and Malinois, which have a strong sense of smell and distinct physical characteristics. They are also characterised by their ruthlessness and speed, and are capable of searching areas that are difficult for people to reach, he added.

He said that their sniffer dogs are trained by specialist trainers while highlighting the presence of a comprehensive vet clinic, equipped with a lab, inspection and treatment room, as well as a pharmacy that includes all types of medicine for dogs. A total of 203 dogs are trained by K9 on an annual basis, Al Saadi said.

K9, at the Abu Dhabi Police, was established in 1983, under the name, the 'Sniffer Dogs Section', with a limited number of dogs, but it developed into a specialist department, with many branches in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra Region.

Source: Wam