The Customs Department has recently introduced two new four-legged officials, whose duties include the detection for narcotics and other contraband.
Director General Patchara Anuntasilpa said his office now has its own K9 team, namely Kanoon (jackfruit) and Durian, both Labrador Retrievers, imported from South Korea.
“We acquired both dogs under a bilateral cooperation agreement with South Korea’s Customs department. They were trained before being sent to us,” said Patchara.
The department sent human officials to South Korea to join the three-month training with Kanoon and Durian, so that they could become familiar with each other.
Previously, the department had to ask other agencies, such as the police and the army, if they needed sniffer dogs for their investigations.
“Now we have our own and we expect to add another 6-9 dogs to the programme. We recently launched the department’s K9 centre in Samut Prakarn’s Bangplee district.”
The centre was opened in response to the increase in narcotics being hidden in imported and exported goods.
Both dogs, Patchara said, will be deployed at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. South Korean customs officials escorted Kanoon and Durian to Bangkok. They arrived in on July 26 and both will be allowed to rest for a while, to acclimatize.
