Assistant Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chow Kwong, led a Hong Kong Customs delegation to attend a closing ceremony of the First Dog Handler and Detector Dog Training Course at Ruili Detector Dog Base, Yunnan in the Mainland on May 27.
In December 2005, the Customs General Administration of PRC and Hong Kong Customs reached a cooperation agreement on the training of drugs detector dogs.
Under the agreement, Hong Kong Customs would send a total of 12 Customs officers to attend training at Ruili Detector Dog Base in four separate courses in 2006 and 2007. Three dog handlers and three drugs detector dogs will undergo a six-week training in each course.
As a replacement programme for some of the retiring drugs detector dogs, Hong Kong Customs plans to intake 19 new drugs detector dogs in 2006 and 2007, 12 of which will be provided under the Cooperation Agreement.
The Cooperation Arrangement will provide a more cost-effective training for dog handlers and drugs detector dogs in the coming two years.
This arrangement will enhance the cooperation of the drugs detector dogs units of both administrations and the development of their technical skills on handling drugs detector dogs.
Currently Hong Kong Customs has 27 drugs detector dogs and two explosives detector dogs. They are deployed for inspecting cargos, passengers, baggages, mail, containers, vehicles, vessels, and aircraft at Hong Kong International Airport, Kwai Chung Container Terminal, and the other control points.
Ends/Tuesday, May 30, 2006