CHANDIGARH: Drug-sniffing dogs that were deployed for the first time in Punjab to check transportation and distribution of drugs ahead of Assembly polls helped state law enforcement agencies recover 58 kg of poppy husk. "It is for the first time that 22 narcotic-trained sniffer dogs have been deployed during polls in Punjab. So far, dogs have led to successful recovery of 58 kg of poppy husk in Barnala and Bathinda districts," said additional director general of police VK Bhawra.
The deployment of sniffer dogs was ordered by the Election Commission in anticipation of distribution of drugs by political parties to lure voters. Twenty two trained dogs were ordered to be deployed at prominent places, including inter-state borders, railway stations and bus stands to check the movement of narcotic substances in the poll-bound state. On specific input, police raided a house in the first case in Barnala district, but were unable to find any narcotic substance. "Then Kerry- a white sniffer dog, began barking near a heap of bricks lying in a verandah of the house. When the bricks were removed, 4 kg of poppy husk was recovered," said Punjab inspector general of police and director of State Narcotics Control Bureau, Ishwar Singh.
In the second incident, another sniffer dog helped police claim a massive amount of the same substance from a car in Bathinda. Singh said, "Few days ago, during a special checking drive a car was stopped for search n Bathinda. Sam- the Labrador, deployed there went to back side of the car and started barking. When the vehicle was searched, 54 kg of poppy husk was recovered." He added that the canine had come in as an aid in effective detection of concealed drugs. Poppy husk, popularly known in rural Punjab as 'Bhukki', is a banned substance.
Singh said an amount of £125,000 has been sanctioned by the Punjab government for the training of dogs. The canines were hired for a month from the Punjab Home Guard Training Institute.
