More canines are going to be trained specifically to sniff out narcotics, said the Hyderabad city police officials. Officials said that search for narcotics in pubs and other such establishments are going to be a routine process.
On Sunday night, officials from the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police carried out searches on several pubs using K9 squad sniffer dogs for the first time. While the Hyderabad police checked the bars and pubs located on the Jubilee Hills stretch, Cyberabad police searched three pubs in their commissionerate. However, no violations pertaining to drugs were reported in any of them.
Speaking about the searches, Hyderabad Commissioner K. Sreenivasa Reddy said that two canines will be trained specially to sniff out narcotics. “Sniffer dogs are trained with a focus on explosives along with drugs but have not been used to detect narcotics so far. Though we are training them further, new canines are also being brought in and will be trained to only detect narcotics,” said the official.
Cyberabad Commissioner Avinash Mohanty said that one of the places had allowed underage minors and e-cigarettes were seized from another place. “This will be a regular thing from hereon as a part of our enforcement against drugs,” said the official.
Officials from the city police said that the canines are given training at the Integrated Intelligence Training Academy (IITA) in Moinabad. They are trained in sniffing out explosives, narcotics, alcohol and also for tracking criminals. “Their overall training starts with grooming, focus on hygiene and being acquainted with their assigned handler. After their first quarter into the camp, they are made to obey commands. Further, mock drills and simulation are conducted to give them real-time experience in sniffing. They are handed over to the Police department when they are 14-months-old,” explained the officials.
Earlier on Sunday, the director of Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau, Sandeep Shandilya, gave a two-and-half-hour presentation to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on curbing drug menace in the State. The action plan against the drug menace included Anti-Drug Committees (ADCs) in educational institutions, procuring of portable drug detection kits like alcohol breath analysers, evidence-based practices, rewards for enforcing personnel, surveillance on courier and transportation services, the social media, to sale of scheduled drugs by pharmacists. Mr. Shandilya said that the main focus will be on educational institutions, the movie and the Information Technology industries, bars, pubs, resorts, and rave parties.
