Australian Federal Police train team of digital technology sniffer dogs to target child abuse operations and terrorism perpetrators

The Australian Federal Police are training a team of dogs to sniff out digital technology items. (ABC News: Antoinette Radford)

A team of specially trained sniffer dogs are being deployed to police stations across Australia to search out a new scent — digital technology items.

While dogs are often used to smell out drugs and explosives, nine canines across Australia have been taught to sniff out items, like USBs, hard drives, and SIM cards.

Police are specifically targeting child abuse operations and terrorism perpetrators with the new capabilities.

Acting Inspector of Canine Operations Mark Holmes said criminals involved in those types of crimes often stored digital files on hard drives and USBs, which were then hidden around their homes.

The dogs will sweep a premises after a team of investigators have already conducted their search, and so far out of 74 operations; they have located 328 items.

Due to their initial success, the new canine capabilities will now be permanently stationed in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, with dogs already based in NSW, the ACT and Queensland.

Only top 1 per cent of sniffer dogs selected

Acting Inspector of the AFP's Canine Operations Mark Holmes says the dogs target items that might otherwise be missed in a search. (ABC News: Antoinette Radford)

The dogs go through a rigorous training process, with only the top one per cent of dogs who succeed in initial sniffer dog training for drugs and explosives being selected to train as technology detecting dogs.

"We require the top one per cent of dogs that we see through the program, to succeed in this discipline," Acting Inspector Holmes said.

"So these dogs are specifically trained to get in nice and close and detect that one element."

Mark Rice, the team leader of training and development at the AFP's canine operations centre, said the inspiration for technology detecting dogs came after a visit to the United States where the team saw how dogs were used by their law enforcement agencies.

Trainer Mark Rice says he was sceptical of the idea until he saw how US law enforcement agencies used their dogs. (ABC News: Antoinette Radford)

He said the dogs were motivated by a play reward at the end of a hard day's work.

"So it's very important that the handler is well trained and the handler is very skilled at the timing of that reward, and keeping those dogs motivated to keep working."

For Mr Rice, the hard work put into training the dogs to sniff out technology items is all worth it, as it is working to keep the community safer.