More dogs for K9 unit

Manama : The Canine (K9) unit of Bahrain is all set to receive a major upgrade, a top official at the Ministry of Interior said. 

According to the unit’s training in-charge, First Lieutenant, Mohammed Abduljalil Al Mahmeed, K9, as part of the expansion, will receive new service dogs bred and trained in the Kingdom. 

“Currently there are more than 80 active working dogs of different breeds and more are expected to join soon,” said Al Mahmeed to Interior Ministry’s publication, Al Amn. 

The breeds at the unit include German Shepard, Cocker Spaniel, Spring Spaniel, Belgian Malinois and Labrador. “They are trained to obey every command of their handlers,” he said. 

Similarly, the K9 handlers are specially selected to work with and understand the behaviour of dogs. 

Earlier, the unit used to import dogs, which, however, changed with the opening of the breeding facility in Sitra. The first batch from the facility was inducted in 2015. 

“The unit has evolved over the years,” said Al Mahmeed adding that K9 is now capable of handling any type of operations such as search and rescue, victim recovery, advanced explosives detection as well as maintaining public order. 

The highly trained dogs in the K9 unit can detect narcotics, firearms, weapons, explosives and many other dangerous items and materials. They are trained to find illegal items hidden in containers, luggage, vehicles, packages, and on people, according to an Interior Ministry report. 

The report also states that before joining the K9 unit the dogs are also vetted for their temperament and ability to work with people. During its service life, each dog is constantly monitored and evaluated on its performance including it detection ability and success rate.

The K9 teams are responsible for locating millions of dollars worth of drugs and other contraband. Since the K9 was formed in 2007, incidents of smuggling have declined significantly. K9 unit is a part of the Special Security Forces Command (SSFC) of the Ministry of Interior.