Detector dogs
Customs' detector dog teams play a vital role in intercepting illegal drugs and explosives. The dogs are highly skilled and their abilities to detect a wide variety of illegal drugs and explosives contribute greatly to New Zealand's border security.
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What the detector dog teams do
Detector dogs and their handlers operate at points of entry for people, goods and mail arriving or leaving New Zealand.
The dogs' natural agility, keen sense of smell and retrieval instincts makes them effective tools of border security.
Detector dog teams search a variety of items and locations, such as airfreight, seafreight, mail, airports, ships and vehicles. Every day the dog teams are deployed to where intelligence suggests there is the greatest risk of importation and exportation. This means they must be highly adaptable.
Customs detector dog teams also provide assistance to New Zealand Police and other government agencies upon request.
Drug detector dogs
Drug detector dog teams have achieved considerable success since becoming part of the New Zealand Customs Service in 1976.
They are trained to detect a wide variety of illegal drugs being smuggled into New Zealand such as cocaine, heroin, MDMA (ecstasy), amphetamine, methamphetamine, cannabis and precursors used to manufacture crystal methamphetamine or "P".
Explosive detector dogs
Explosive detector dog teams have been in operation with Customs since 2003 to boost border security measures in the commercial trade and other import or export environments.
They screen cargo passing across New Zealand's borders, searching for various forms of commercial and military-type explosives. Explosive detector dog teams are also deployed at the International Mail Centre, on ships and small craft, and assist other government agencies on request.