Mumbai: A dog named 'Honey' was included in the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) team of Mumbai Crime Branch in Oct 2020 to locate hidden drugs. Honey was given rigorous training in Rajasthan for the task. But calls to the German Shepherd are very rare despite the ANC crackdown on drug traffickers.
Drugs are procured in such a way that the consignments cannot be detected humanly. They are often smuggled using human skills. In such a situation, dogs can detect hidden contraband accurately.
An official told FPJ that this year, the ANC took Honey to 6-8 places to search for drugs, including Arthur Road Jail, Bhau Cha Dhakka and the Cruz Terminus, among others. Earlier, Honey was not given a chance to work due to the Covid-induced lockdown.
When Honey was inducted into the ANC, officials had planned to take the canine to the airport, railway stations and courier offices to detect contraband which would deter drug smugglers. “When we get a proper tip-opp, we go in, raid the place and catch the accused. However, when the drugs need to be located in a large godown or slum cluster, we need sniffer dogs to locate the contraband effectively,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (ANC) Mr Prakash Jadhav told FPJ. The ANC currently has only one sniffer dog.
Earlier in Oct 2018, a dog named Shayna was inducted into the ANC's dog squad. But Shayna was not used in any action and left the team within two years. Honey was inducted while Shayna was still in the ANC's dog squad.
