Training centre for sniffing dog similar to Australia Customs model officially launches

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	Organise nine training sessions on National Single Window mechanism
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Deputy Director General of General Department of Vietnam Customs Luu Manh Tuong (on the left) and delegates visit the training centre for sniffing dogs. Photo: T. Binh.

At the event, Deputy Director General Luu Manh Tuong said the illicit cross-border trafficking and transportation of drugs have been complex.

Thesector has been drastically and synchronously aking measures to prevent and fight, including using sniffing dogs asone of the important solutions.

The Deputy Director General requested the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department, specifically Team 8, effectively use facilities and equipment in caring and improving the effectiveness of training and use of sniffing dogs to effectively serve specialised operation, especially the anti- drugs.

Pham Van Phan-Head of Team 8 said that the Prime Minister’s Decision 330/QD-TTg dated February 17, 2006 approving the project "strengthening the capacity of drug prevention and combat in Customs sector” stipulate that all specialised units, anti-drug units and key customs branches be equipped with sniffing dogs to contribute to preventing drugs and explosives illegally entering Vietnam, as well as leaving from Vietnam to foreign countries.

The headquarters of Team. 8 . Photo: T.L

On December 31, 2009, the Ministry of Finance issued Decision 3210/QD-BTC approving the master scheme to build the sniffing dog training centre of the Customs sector (Team 8) with the goal of building a stable centre, and modern facilities and equipment to change and improve the quality and efficiency of the use of sniffing dogs of the Customs sector. Thereby, contributing to preventing the source of drugs and explosives illegally entering Vietnam, as well as leaving from Vietnam to foreign countries, to keep pace with sniffing dog training centres of advanced countries.

Based on the experience of the Customs of the countries that Vietnam has cooperated with like Australia, the US, Japan, France, Cuba andChina, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has decided to select Australian Customs to implement comprehensive cooperation in training sniffing dogs. The Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department has advised the leaders of the General Department of Vietnam Customs to apply the model of Australian Customs to establish the current sniffing dog training centre of the Customs sector, Phan said.

With the support of BacNinh Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee, Yen Phong District Party Committee and District People's Committee, Dong Phong Party Committee and Commune People's Committee, in October 2017, the General Department of Vietnam Customs established the sniffing dog training centre of the Customs sector with an area of ​​5.2 ha.

During the establishment process, Australian Customs visited and provided training materials, surveyed the construction process, and consulted operational comments to Vietnam Customs and said theutilities and design of the headquarters of Team 8 is advanced and similar to Australian Customs and suitable for the care and training of sniffing dogs.

After nearly three years of implementation, all the project’s sections have been completed and equipped the necessary facilities, technical equipment to be put into use.

The completion of Team 8’s headquarters will help the Customs sector take the initiative in training sniffing dog trainers in a closed model from selection of breed dogs to fostering and training to provide for units using sniffing dogs to detect drugs, explosives, and to perform tasks in the entire customs sector as well as in training and international cooperation.

In tandemwith the completion of regulations, organisational apparatus and material facilities, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has directed the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department to develop a plan to inspect the units using sniffing dogs in the entire customs sectors, to determine strengths of other units to duplicate as well as their weaknesses to draw experience for the department.

Currently, the management and use of sniffing dogs in the entire customs units have had positive results; the use of sniffing dogs has been put into practice; sniffing dogs have been used effectively in the detection and arrest of trafficking and illegal transportation of drugs in customs control areas.

Typically, on April 22, 2019, the sniffing dog of Team 8 detected two packages of cocaine at the Northern International Post Exploitation Centre; On July 17, 2019, the sniffing dog of TayNinh Customs detected 8 kg of drugs transported from Cambodia to Vietnam at MocBai International Border Gate; On September 11, 2019, the sniffing dog of BinhPhuoc Customs detected 16 kg of ketamine and methamphetamine.

On October 5, the sniffing dog of Tan San Nhat International Airport Customs Branch (HCM City Customs Department) detected six cannabis packages with a total weight of 1,480 grams.