Illegal drug use has been a problem in the ROC military. The Military Police has set up a special unit to tackle the issue -- a team of sniffer dogs that are tasked with detecting drugs when needed. ROC or Republic of China is Taiwan’s official name.
A black Labrador sits down after sniffing around a scooter. The gesture is to inform its trainer, a military police officer, that it has found questionable items on the scene. The officer then proceeds to find a pack of drugs under the seat of the scooter.
This is a training exercise at the Shilin Branch of the Military Police Command. The dog is one of three that are currently serving in a special unit tasked with detecting drugs.
Sergeant Liu Hsin-hung, officer in charge of the unit, said the training process involves selecting the puppies with stable temperament and training them to sniff out suspicious substances. Other officers said that working with the dogs is an act of close collaboration that requires human partners to pay full attention at all times.
The unit was established earlier this year by the Military Police Command and the Customs Administration. Their plan is to have 22 trainers and 18 sniffer dogs ready by the end of the year. The dogs will be sent to barracks across Taiwan to conduct spot checks on illegal drugs.