ISLAMABAD: A team of counternarcotics canine experts from the Bolivian Police has completed a technical needs assessment mission in Pakistan aimed at evaluating the canine capacity of the Anti-Narcotics Force and making recommendations for possible future improvements.

The Bolivian Police Training Centre of Drug Detecting Canines is considered as one of the renowned canine training facilities in the world. It trains canine experts from 11 Latin American countries.

Jointly hosted by the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) and ANF, the visit was aimed to evaluate the canine capacity of the ANF. The Bolivian Police team explored steps required to bring the canine capacity of Pakistani law-enforcement agencies in line with international standards.

Lt Col Javier Mendoza, the head of the Bolivian Canine Centre, along with the deputy chief, Captain Jimmy Quiroga, conducted the needs assessment mission in Pakistan.

The mission acknowledged the importance of the ANF’s current standard of canine training and dog-handling. They made recommendations to bring the ANF’s canine capacity to international standards. Special attention was paid to improving the canine breeding and training capabilities of the ANF and tactical deployment along both vulnerable drug trafficking routes and entry and exit points of the country.

The UNODC Represen­tative in Pakistan, Cesar Guedes, highlighted the importance of raising Pakistan’s counternarcotics canine capacity as it was considered the first line of defence against international drug trafficking networks.

“Our close partnership with the government demands pragmatic measures in support of the ANF’s counternarcotics drive in the country,” he said.

“Our efforts aim to improve Pakistan’s response to the emerging challenges of drugs and chemical precursors trafficking, especially through the southern trafficking route. It would have a greater impact on the region,” Mr Guedes maintained.

ANF Director-General Maj Gen Khawar Hanif expressed the hope that UNODC’s canine training initiative would enhance the capacities of the ANF, as well as that of other law-enforcement agencies. “We look forward to making the ANF’s canine breeding and training centre one of the leading training entities in the region,” he added.

Published in Dawn June 13th, 2015

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