THE local Customs Services Division will assess Palau’s drug detector dog, or K9, program next week.
Customs Lt. Freddie Guajardo, supervisor of the CNMI’s Drug Detector Dog Unit, will go to Palau on Monday for a three-day assessment of the island nation’s K9 facility, personnel and operations.
Guajardo said this is part of the K9 handler training that the CNMI will conduct in Palau either late this year or early 2003.
“Before we train their dogs and the handlers, we need to conduct a feasibility study of their facility and operations, and to select those who would be trained here on Saipan,” said Guajardo.
The Australian Customs Service, which certified CNMI’s K9 and K9 handlers, recommended the commonwealth’s Drug Detector Dog Unit.
Customs Director Joe Mafnas said there has been a recent increase in demand for this training.
Graham Walsh of the Australian Customs Service will also return to Saipan to conduct additional certification training for K9 handling instructors.
Mafnas said Customs also wants to establish a K9 breeding program here in order to decrease reliance on Australia.
During the 4th Annual Conference of Customs Heads of the Oceania Customs Organizations on April 8 to 10, Guajardo gave a presentation on the CNMI’s K9 program.
