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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 the 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 drug detector dogs, Hong Kong Customs plans an intake of 19 new drugs detector dogs in 2006 and 2007, 12 of which will be provided under the Cooperation Agreement.
The Cooperation Arrangement will provide more cost-effective training for dog handlers and drug detector dogs in the coming two years.
This arrangement will enhance the cooperation of the drug detector dogs units of both administrations and the development of their technical skills in handling the dogs.
Currently Hong Kong Customs has 27 drug detector dogs and two explosives detector dogs. They are deployed to inspect cargo, 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
Issued at HKT 19:17
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