Law ‘hampered by shortage of drugs sniffer dogs’

ENFORCEMENT of drug laws is being seriously hampered by a chronic shortage of drugs sniffer dogs and gardaí trained to handle them, the AGSI conference heard yesterday.

Last Saturday, a dog handler had to be flown from Shannon to Dublin to collect a drugs sniffer dog for a search, the conference was told. “To get a drugs dog at times is impossible and the current position is unacceptable,” said Jim Phelan of the Laois/Offaly branch.

His motion requesting the AGSI national executive to call on the Garda Commissioner to have drugs sniffer dogs and handlers trained and assigned to each garda division was passed.