The facility is the result of cooperation between New Zealand Customs, New Zealand Police, Tonga Police and Tonga’s Ministry of Revenue and Customs, and was built by a local contractor in Vava’u. The kennels were built through support from New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The facility was officially opened on 30 October by Minister of Customs and Associate Minister of Police Hon. Casey Costello, who was attending alongside representatives from New Zealand Customs, Police, the Tongan Government and Tongan agencies involved in the build.
New Zealand Customs Deputy Chief Executive International and Governance, Joe Cannon says the facility is a practical example of the strong relationship between Customs and its Pacific partners.
“The real value of this facility is the capability it gives our Tongan colleagues on the ground. It provides detector dog teams with a secure base in Vava’u and allows them to maintain a stronger operational presence where it is needed.
“Transnational, serious and organised crime does not recognise borders. The best response is strong partnerships, good intelligence and capable frontline teams working together to identify and disrupt the movement of illicit goods.”
Vava’u’s airport, seaport and regular yacht and small-craft traffic mean detector dog teams can play an important role in screening passengers, baggage, cargo and maritime activity. The new kennels allow teams to remain in Vava’u for longer deployments rather than relying on shorter deployments from the main operating base in Tongatapu.
The new facility, located within the Tonga Police compound in Neiafu, includes four kennels, a storage room, dog-washing facilities and two fully fenced dog-run areas. It will be jointly owned and operated by Tonga Police and Tonga Customs.
Joe says the emphasis is on building capability that Tonga can sustain and lead itself.
“The Pacific Detector Dog Programme is about much more than supplying detector dogs. It is about investing in people, developing handlers and leaders, strengthening operational systems and sharing the expertise needed to build lasting capability.
“New Zealand Customs’ role is to work alongside our Pacific partners and support the priorities they have identified. Ultimately it is Tongan officers who will use this facility and capability every day to help protect their communities.”
The Pacific Detector Dog Programme was established in 2018 and is jointly managed by New Zealand Customs and New Zealand Police, built through support from New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Twenty-one New Zealand-trained detector dog teams have since been deployed across Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and the Cook Islands.
Tonga currently has three qualified detector dog teams, while another two teams, one from Tonga Police and one from Tonga Customs, are training at the New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre in Trentham. Once qualified, the additional teams will help provide the workforce needed to support operations from Vava’u.
