Pacific Detector Dog Programme trains four operational teams for islands [1]
Monday, November 28, 2022 - 22:42
Tongan Constable Uluaki Havea (Tonga Police) and his dog Cricket, were among nine teams graduating from the Pacific Detector Dog Programme, in Trentham, Wellington, on November 24 and will bring their skills home to protect Tonga's borders.
Their specialised training was facilitated under a partnership between New Zealand Police, New Zealand Customs Service and Pacific border and police agencies. working together in targeting organised crime. Nine new detector dog teams graduated.
The ceremony was hosted by New Zealand Police following a nine weeks training at the New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre.
Five handlers from the Pacific islands, including Tonga Police, Samoa Customs, Fiji Police, French Polynesia Gendarmerie and French Polynesia Customs, participated in the graduation ceremony, as well as four New Zealand Customs officers and their dogs.
The course was led by New Zealand Police dog training instructor, Sergeant Mike Robinson assisted by Chief Customs officer Dave Huff and Principal Customs Officer Taito Nawai Damuni.
Four dogs to work in Pacific
New Zealand Police also provided the five dogs, four of whom will be heading offshore to work in the Pacific, they also supplied the dogs from the police detector dog breeding programme.
Inspector Todd Southall, National Coordinator of New Zealand Police Dogs said, “It’s a proud day for the graduates and for all of our agencies, highlighting the value we place on working together to protect our borders and our communities”.
Customs Group Manager Intelligence, Investigations and Enforcement Mr. Terry Brown said, “while these four teams have now been operational with Customs, based in Auckland and Christchurch, over the past year, it has been wonderful to have them all together to share their graduation.”
Chief Customs Officer, Dave Huff, who works closely with his New Zealand Police counterparts to support border and enforcement capability in the Pacific, added that “it is especially significant to share today’s formalities with graduates from the Pacific Detector Dog Programme, and the graduates from the separate programme of support to French Polynesia Customs and the Gendarmerie.
“Detector dogs are an additional and vital layer of protection used by enforcement and border agencies both here in Aotearoa New Zealand and our counterpart agencies in the Pacific”.
Mr Huff said that the NZ Police and NZ Customs Pacific Detector Dog programme, has been running for six years and are proud of the close collaboration they share with all of their partner agencies in the region.
“These international partnerships will enable us to continue the fight against transnational organised crime groups which target our Pacific region”.
Inspector Todd Southall said that the partnerships are effective at both the operational and strategic level, and New Zealand Police was very pleased to support, host and train handlers from the Pacific agencies.
At the ceremony were: Gendarme Randy Grimadias (French Polynesia Gendarmerie) and his dog, Bael; 1st Class Principal Agent Thierry Amaro (French Polynesia Customs) and Crete, Sergeant Mike Robinson (NZ Police), Constable Kameli Vaniqi (Fiji Police) and Chief, Principal Customs Officer Taito Damuni (Fiji), Constable Uluaki Havea (Tonga Police) and Cricket; Customs Officer Taase Vaetoa and Euro (Samoa Customs).