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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Dogs to sniff out drug supporters
The BBC Wednesday 22 Aug 2001 Football fans considering taking drugs into games at Middlesbrough FC have been given a warning by the club and local police. A team of eight very successful sniffer dogs from Cleveland Police are to patrol the entrances and concourses at the club's Riverside Stadium this season. Since the beginning of the year the seven springer spaniels and one labrador have carried out 270 searches and recovered 80 drug caches. Illegal substances with a street value of £250,000 have been recovered, including a two kilogram heroin haul valued at £200,000. Hooligan cover Although there is not a drug problem among Middlesbrough followers, there is a danger visiting supporters may be carrying illicit substances. Bryan Drew, head of specialist intelligence at the National Criminal Intelligence Unit claims many hooligans are actively involved in the drugs scene. Mr Drew said: "Travelling supporters provide a market for drugs as well as cover, through weight of numbers, for drug dealers." Inspector Ross Sibley, who leads the Teesside dog force, said: "Anyone who comes to football matches in Middlesbrough with drugs stands a very good chance of being sniffed out and caught." 'Fantastic job' Middlesbrough Football Club has declared its stadium a drug-free zone, and spokesman Dave Allen said: "The dog team's results speak for themselves, they have done a fantastic job." In 2000 the cannine squad uncovered drugs with a street value of £2.5m, including a wagon full of cannabis with a value of £1.5m. It takes six to eight weeks to train a sniffer dog, which will have a working life of up to 10 years compared with the seven years of the normal police dog. The Cleveland force has been a trailblazer in using dogs for "passive indication" rather than "active indication". When their dogs sense drugs they put their noses to the find and stand still, whereas the other system uses the animals to dig out the drugs. With "active indication" there is a danger of property damage, or evidence being destroyed. 'Secret training' Inspector Sibley said: "About four years ago we set out to rectify the problem. "The passive method was in its infancy and we have been one of the forerunners in this method. "The dog's natural instinct is to dig things out, but we have a secret training method, which involves games, to make them passively indicate their find." He said there was no pain or trauma for the dogs in the training method.
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