New illicit drugs / narcotics sniffing dog detection technique for Containers presented by Germany's Customs Authorities in Bremerhaven
Creators: name: Weerth, Carsten
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Container, Customs controls, Illicit Drugs, Narcotics, Smuggling, Detection Dogs, Drug detection, Dog Training, Sniffing Dog, WCO, World Customs Organization, War on Drugs.

description: <strong>New illicit drugs / narcotics sniffing dog detection technique for Containers presented by Germany’s Customs Authorities in Bremerhaven</strong> The use of customs dogs has been a successful tactical tool for detecting smuggled and hidden illicit drugs and narcotics worldwide for more than 65 years. In Germany, for example, there have been two customs dog schools for training customs dogs since 1958. The World Customs Organization (WCO) has created a network of 18 Regional Dog Training Centers for the training of Customs dogs. Organized crime is increasingly using the regular transport of goods in containers as a means of transport for their drug shipments. In Europe, the main ports of entry are the seaports in Belgium and the Netherlands and also the German seaports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven. The control of containers is difficult because they have to be individually filtered out of the stacked containers and effectively controlled, which is time-consuming and costly. A new customs dog technique was developed at the main customs office (Hauptzollamt) Bremen, with which the air can be sucked out of several containers and collected and fed to the sniffer dogs for sampling. This technique makes it possible to inspect more containers and to carry out this inspection faster and more cost-effectively. This new technique should lead to more targeted and better results when detecting drugs in containers. It was developed by the Bremerhaven customs dog handler Horst-Dieter Träger (Pooling-Methode oder Träger-Methode) and is now also being trained and distributed in the customs dog schools of the General Customs Directorate. In the future, this should not only be limited to Germany but should lead to an improvement in the detection rate of drugs in containers worldwide within the framework of the World Customs Organization. „HZA-HB: Possible uses of customs sniffer dogs expanded By sucking out the air inside the container, sniffer dogs can report drugs On Wednesday, August 9, 2023, the main customs office in Bremen presented a new method for detecting narcotics in sea containers on the terminal site in the Bremerhaven free zone can be tracked on site. The method was developed by the main customs office in Bremen with the participation of the customs dog school in Bleckede. The new technology expands the potential for use of drug detection dogs at customs and complements the previously successfully used techniques to prevent drug smuggling. “Previously, we could only use tracking dogs on sea containers if the interior was accessible to the dog. With full containers and bulky goods, this was only possible after the time-consuming emptying of the interior of the container. Now we can track down a larger number of containers in a shorter time directly on site with the dogs," explains Nicole Tödter, head of the main customs office in Bremen and proudly adds: "I am particularly pleased that the new extraction technology was developed by a dog handler from my main customs office". The extraction technology used also creates an odor carrier that can be detected at a later point in time, protected from external influences, so that the use of this technology would also be possible if the sniffer dogs were to be tied down by parallel deployments. In addition, an odor carrier can be created by a lighter backpack solution. With the rucksack, the interior air can also be extracted in places where a container is stored that is particularly difficult to access, for example in cramped conditions or at greater heights with containers stacked on top of one another.” Source: Hauptzollamt Bremen, HZA-HB: Einsatzmöglichkeiten von Spürhunden des Zolls erweitert, Durch Absaugen der Containerinnenluft können Spürhunde Drogen anzeigen, Press release as of 9/8/2023, URL: https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/121225/5576841; translated automatically „What exactly did Horst-Dieter Träger develop? The customs officer has developed a device that sucks air out of large shipping containers. Customs dogs then use this air to sniff out whether there are drugs in the container, such as cocaine or cannabis. Customs demonstrated the method in Bremerhaven on Wednesday. According to customs, three containers can always be checked at the same time. A hose then leads into the container. The other end is in the developed device, a knee-high metal box. The sucked air is led through the device. The dogs then sniff at holes that are at the top of the box. If they hit, they indicate their find.” Scource: Benecke/Schmitt, Mit dieser Technik sollen Zoll-Hunde in Bremerhaven mehr Drogen finden, 9/8/2023, URL: https://www.butenunbinnen.de/nachrichten/bremerhaven-zoll-drogen-hund-106.html; translated automatically Further pictures: Use of air extraction technology on the container (Source: Hauptzollamt Bremen) <strong>Sources and further References</strong>: Hauptzollamt Bremen, HZA-HB: Einsatzmöglichkeiten von Spürhunden des Zolls erweitert, Durch Absaugen der Containerinnenluft können Spürhunde Drogen anzeigen, Press release as of 9/8/2023, URL: https://www.presseportal.de/­blaulicht/pm/121225/5576841 Benecke, M. und Schmitt, J., Mit dieser Technik sollen Zoll-Hunde in Bremerhaven mehr Drogen finden, 9/8/2023, URL: https://www.butenunbinnen.de/nachrichten/­bremerhaven-zoll-drogen-hund-106.html dpa, Drogenschmuggel: Zoll kontrolliert Luft aus Containern, News item as of 9/8/2023, dpa-infocom, dpa:230809-99-779575/4, URL: https://www.sued­deut­sche.­de/­­­panorama/­­­kriminalitaet-bremerhaven-drogenschmuggel-zoll-kontrolliert-luft-aus-contai­nern-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-230809-99-779575 Lange, M. und Deitschun, M., Drogen über Bremerhaven: Wie der Zoll Schmugglern auf die Spur kommt, 12/8/2023, URL: https://www.butenunbinnen.de/nachrichten/­drogen­schmuggel-in-bremerhaven-drogen-100.html Keywords: Container, Customs controls, Illicit Drugs, Narcotics, Smuggling, Detection Dogs, Drug detection, Dog Training, Sniffing Dog, WCO, World Customs Organization, War on Drugs. JEL-Codes: E26, F14, F53, K33, K34, K42, Q37. <strong>Author: Dr. Carsten Weerth BSc (Glasgow) LLM MA</strong> <strong>Zentrum für Zollrecht und Zollforschung - Center for Customs Law and Customs Research</strong>
description: JEL-Codes: E26, F14, F53, K33, K34, K42, Q37 This is a Technical Report