The Police Kennels Division has acquired a group of 35 sniffer dogs from the Netherlands at a cost of Rs.58 million.
The pack, consisting of Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd, and English Spaniel breeds, arrived via an early morning airlift to the Bandaranaike International Airport.
These dogs were procured from the renowned private livestock farm "K-10 Working Dog" in the Netherlands, comprising 14 males and 21 females. Notably, two of the female English Spaniels were found to be pregnant, and a Belgian Malinois had already undergone breeding at the farm.
Senior officials from the Police Kennels Division confirmed that a team of Veterinary Medical Officers had visited the Dutch farm to thoroughly examine the dogs before their importation. DIG Nihal Thalduwa, the Police Media Spokesman, personally oversaw the reception of the dogs at the animal quarantine unit of the airport.
The DIG highlighted that the newly acquired dogs, aged between 8 to 12 months, will undergo a rigorous three-month training program before being deployed across various Police Kennel Units nationwide. Emphasizing their role in anti-narcotic efforts in the Western and Southern Provinces, as well as "Yukthiya" operations, he stated that these additions would supplement the current strength of 372 sniffer dogs within the Police Kennel Division.
