K-9 units enlisted to sniff out drug smugglers and human traffickers
Jul 9, 2018, 11:44 AM | Updated: 12:27 pm
(Arizona Department of Transportation)
(Arizona Department of Transportation)
PHOENIX – Two Arizona Department of Transportation K-9 units have been sniffing out drug smugglers and human traffickers at two ports of entry between states.
The K-9 units based at the Interstate 10 Ehrenberg Port of Entry near California and the Interstate 40 Sanders Port of Entry near New Mexico have inspected hundreds of vehicles.
Between December and May, the dogs, both Belgian Malinois, have helped officers seize more than 350 pounds of marijuana, 600 vials of hash oil and $90,000 in illicit currency, ADOT said in a news release.
“This is a matter of highway safety,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said in the release. “Our officers, along with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement agencies, find illegal drugs and cases of human smuggling on our highways. Adding K-9s where we are already screening commercial vehicles makes us a more capable and effective team.”
It cost $29,000 to obtain and train the dogs, which are part of ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division, which enforces laws involving commercial vehicle safety and permits, registration and driver’s license fraud and unlicensed auto dealers.
Belgian Malinois were bred as herding dogs and are known for their hard work, intelligence and devotion. They are regularly used in police and military work.
