The AFP is bolstering its efforts to sniff out crime with nine new technology detection dogs being deployed across the country.
The nine canine crime fighters and their handlers are being posted in capital cities around Australia to help sniff out hidden technology devices such as SIM cards, USBs and other memory storage devices that could hold hundreds of thousands of images and documents.
This will be the first time that AFP technology detection dogs will be based in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, boosting investigative capabilities in these states.
AFP Superintendent National Canine Operations Simon Henry said although the use of technology detection dogs was something new for AFP, they were proving to be an invaluable asset to criminal investigations.
“In 2021 alone, our three fully trained tech dogs were deployed to 74 premises, supporting the seizure of 328 potential evidentiary items” Superintendent Henry said.
“These are items that have been hidden away and probably wouldn’t have been found if not for our dogs and their keen noses.”
“These highly skilled canines will be used to support a variety of investigations for the AFP and our partner agencies, from child protection to drug importations and counter terrorism.”
“Their noses are incredibly sensitive to even the slightest scent. Our tech dogs have found USBs hidden in bed posts and other small places that may be overlooked by the human eye.”
“The ability to locate these hidden technical devices that could hold crucial evidence needed to arrest an offender or remove a child from harm is an incredible asset to law enforcement.”
The nine new canines, comprise of eight Labradors and one German Short Haired Pointer, started their training in late 2021 at the new Technology Detection Dog training facility in Canberra.
