This clever police dog helped to uncover one of the biggest drug crimes in history

A police K-9 called Milo played a key role in detecting a record-breaking 2200 kilos of methamphetamine, one of the largest meth seizures in San Diego's history.

This clever police dog helped to uncover one of the biggest drug crimes in history
© Photo by Bryce Carithers on Pexels.com
This clever police dog helped to uncover one of the biggest drug crimes in history

According to Sky News,the San Diego police were tipped off by the locals who allegedly spotted the men unloading dozens of boxes from a truck. The cargo turned out to be a whopping 2200 kilos of illegal substance methamphetamine. All involved have been charged and face a fine and prison sentence.

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A police K-9 called Milo accompanied the force to the operation and participated in inspecting the suspicious truck. The four-legged hero was able to smell out the meth and played a key role in the seizure of the record-breaking 148 bundles of the drug. Thanks to the witty dog’s special training and extraordinary sense of smell, it was possible to stop the crime and prevent these massive quantities of meth from harming public health.

Public recognition for 'a very good boy' Milo

K-9s are irreplaceable in the complex law enforcement tasks. In a tweet, San Diego's sheriff Anthony Ray acknowledged Milo’s importance to the operation and complimented his hard work.

The sheriff wrote:

K-9 Milo is a very good boy after helping our deputies and law enforcement partners make one of the biggest methamphetamine busts in San Diego County history.

What are police K-9s and how are they trained?

According to the National Police Dog Foundation, a K-9 (a homophone of canine) is a police dog specifically trained to assist members of law enforcement. The most commonly used breeds are German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. Basset Hounds, Bloodhounds, and Labrador Retrievers are known for their tracking, trailing, and detection skills.

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Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

Like every working dog, the police K-9 units require beginner obedience training from a young age. In the first year of their lives, they learn the basics indoors, slowly moving to public setting training to make sure the dogs can handle distractions. This creates a solid foundation for further specialization like drug, explosives, scent searching, or patrol work. Bonding with a handler is an important part of K-9 training. It is teamwork and handlers must know what they are doing as well.

A four-legged professional

Dogs like Milo train for drug detection and learn how to sniff any kind of illegal substance. It is hard work as the dogs are expected to distinguish different kinds of drugs even when another smell is present. So, Milo and his furry colleagues can smell out drugs even if you are cooking a tempting meaty meal right next to them.

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