नेपाल प्रहरी केनाईन महाशाखा

1. Background:

In 2026 BS five police staffs from Nepal Police were sent to Malaysia for canine training. Canine service was started from 4 dogs in which two trained male German Shepherd dogs were brought from the aforementioned country and two others of the same breed were bought in Nepal. This service was formally established in 2032 BS as 'Police Dog Section' in Police Headquarter, Naxal with the deputation of 10 staffs. Owing to its achievement and needs in the changing scenario, the Section was upgraded into Central Police Dog Training School in 2047 BS alongside Regional Dog Section in all the five Development regions. The existing Central Police Dog Training School was upgraded into Canine Division in 2075 BS. Currently, canine service is in operation from fareast to far west regions of Nepal from 165 staffs.

2. Objectives:

To prepare trained and skilled manpower (handlers and trainers).
To identify facts and evidences associated with crime and criminals, track down criminals and narrow down the horizon of investigation.
To detect arms and explosives in order to avoid human and collateral losses.
To detect drugs in order to control drug trafficking and use.
To provide assistance for rescue at times of natural disasters and find out persons kept concealed.
To produce pedigree dogs.
To train the pedigree dogs.
To help augment public contact of the police.

3. Trainings run by the Division at present:

Basic Dog Handling Training
Arms and Explosives Detection Dog Training
Tracker Dog Training
Search and Rescue Dog Training
Drugs Detection Canine Training
Veterinary Orientation Training

4. Areas and bases for use of canines:

Crime Investigation and control: The use of canines in crimes like murder, burglary, theft and abduction is for their ability to identify the persons with similar scent after sniffing the evidences and footprints left behind at the crime scene. For this, the crime scene/spot should be kept intact with the odorous evidences and the operation should be conducted within 24 hours of the incident of crime. Exception is Bloodhound which can sniff the evidences up-to 4 days old. Dogs used in the investigation of such crimes are known as 'Tracker Dogs'.
Detection of arms and explosives: Trained canines are used to check and minimize the losses of human and public properties by searching and identifying the explosives (before their activation). For this, canines are mobilized to sniff around the dwellings of national and international VVIPs VIPs, vehicles used by them, roads, venue of events, office buildings and other important locations. This has proved to be reliable and effective means to avoid possible casualties. The trained dogs used in such duty are known as 'Bomb Dogs'. They can easily identify explosive items by sniffing their odor.
Detection of drugs: Trained dogs are deployed to control trafficking, sales, distribution, storage and use of illegal drugs. To curb this illicit trade, dogs are instructed to sniff around different passages and stations in national and international border, hotel, restaurant, airport and other suspected areas. Remarkable achievements have been made by the use of dogs. Such dogs are called Drugs Dogs.
Search at times of disasters: Search and Rescue (SAR) dogs are mobilized to look for absconding or buried people during or aftermath of natural disasters. Likewise, these rescue dogs are also used to figure out the persons who are kept concealed at unknown places when abducted by criminal groups.

5. Use of canine in the regional and international airport

Canine service is functioning round-the-clock (24x7) in both international and regional airports for the security of the passengers as well as to control trafficking of illegal items. Currently, canine service is being provided from Biratnagar and Janakpur regional airport as well as from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA)

6. Use of canine in national and international borders

Police dogs can be used at national and international borders to control the smuggling of illegal goods across the border and to protect passengers. For this canine service is being provided from Birgunj at present.

7. Number and deployment of canine in Nepal Police

A Nepal Police boasts a total of 87 dogs in the following eleven offices:

Canine Division, Maharajgunj	36
International Airport Security Office, Canine Section Gauchar, Kathmandu	8
No. 1 Province Police Office, Canine Section, Dharan	6
Regional Airport, Canine Section, Biratnagar	3
No. 2 Province Police Office, Canine Section, Lalgadh	3
Regional Airport, Canine Section, Janakpur	3
Canine Section, Birgunj	3
Bagmati Province Police Office, Canine Section, Hetauda	6
Gandaki Province Police Office, Canine Section, Pokhara	7
Karnali Province Police Office, Canine Section, Kohalpur	7
Sudur-Paschim Province Police Office, Canine Section, Dhangadhi	5

8. Use of Canine in crime investigation

Every living beings including human possess a peculiar scent or odor. Police canines are used in crimes like murder, burglary, theft and abduction for their unusual ability to identify the persons with similar odor after sniffing the evidences and footprints left behind at the crime scene. The dogs identify criminals by matching given scent with the criminal’s body scent.

Tracking: Every individual discharges a lot of tiny scent particles to ground or air. Canines by using their sniffing power detect the path or track used by the criminals involved in the crime which is called tracking.
Searching: Canines search for those items concealed or left by the criminals at the crime scene by sniffing their body scent and matching it to the items in hiding.
Identification/find out: It is process of detecting one individual among many arrested individuals by providing the person’s belonging(s) or evidences found in the crime scene are sniffed by dogs.

Tracker Dogs are effective in following circumstances:

If the crime scene is safe,
If the suspect is arrested,
If the physical evidence(s) remain undisturbed (by human factors or other animals),
If the crime scene is unperturbed by environmental factors (heat, wind or rain),
If the incident is timely reported (within 24 hours),
If the footprint is kept safe at the scene,

Limitations of tracker dog:

Time constraints (If delayed, more than 24 hours),
If the physical evidence(s) or footprint are affected by human and other external factors,
If the scent liberated by criminals is disappeared,
Means of transportation used by criminals,
Crossing of river by criminal (exception- If casting scent is done by crossing river),
Mixing or masking of scent,

Conditions likely for bad results to Tracker Dogs:

If the physical evidence is messed up by people other than culprit,
If the dog is sniffed with evidences not involved in crime,
Any act of misinformation by victim due to lack of awareness,
Misuse of trained dogs owing to public pressure,
The dogs sniffing instruments which are used by people other than criminal,
Inefficiency of handler,
Any external disturbances during the tracking,

9. Use of Dog friendly Vehicle

In order to make the canine service effective, fast and agile dog friendly Fabricated Kennel Fitted vehicle is used for the deployment of dogs into the duty. Transportation of dogs on such vehicle is suitable and healthy for both long and short distance travel.

10. Some notable achievements

Followings are some success stories made by police dogs:

In 2040 BS, Shova Shrestha who was suspected of murdering her uncle, aunt and a cousin sister with a 'khukuri' knife while they were asleep in a corn field in Charikot, was apprehended by the help of a dog.
On 18th Falgun 2053, a dog helped arrest a runaway convict who had killed a 60 year old woman in Budhanilkantha squeezing her throat.
On 7th Asar 2054, a person after being indicated by a dog confessed his crime. The culprit had murdered three persons from Dhuskun-1, Sindhupalchowk, by lynching their throats with a 'khukuri' while asleep.
On 8th Poush 2058, a dog helped arrest at large convicts involved in the murder of Prithvi Bahadur Thapa and Jas Bahadur Rai, residents of Panchkanya-3, Sunsari.
On 9th Poush 2062, dogs averted a huge irreparable casualty by identifying around 20 kilograms of explosives kept under earth at the entrance of the stadium in Pokhara which was ready for being detonated by using electrical wires, targeted to VIPs.
The corpse of journalist Birendra Shah, murdered while missing after abduction by an unidentified outfit on 18 Ashwin 2064 was identified by dogs on 23rd Kartik 2064 buried under the eastern jungle of Tagiya Basti, Dumarwana-7, Bara.
On 6th Poush 2065, a significant amount of drugs was found in Hotel Viya, Bindhyabasini Guest House, Supreme Guest House and Hotel Patala in Thamel while a search was carried out by using dogs.
In 2067, a dog named Roni helped arrest convicts involved in the murder of Dwarika Khanal, a resident of Gonagabu, Kathmandu.
In 2070, Roni helped arrest convicts involved in the murder of Sanukaji Tamang, a resident of Matathirtha, Thankot.
On14th Ashwin 2071, a dog named Jwala helped arrest a convict named Rammani Regmi who had murdered Arjun Prasad Regmi along the latter’s three family members in Bhotewadar in Lamjung.
In 2073, the dog named "Bhunti" helped arrest a convict named Sanjay Bharati who had murdered Sita Khan along the latter's three family members in Ranagaun in Salyan.
On 3rd Bhadra 2075, the dogs named 'Jolie' and 'Maxal' helped to arrest Sanu Kanchha, the helper in the house of ex-ambassador Keshav Raj Jha who was killed in his own house at Thapathali, Kurigau. The dogs sniffed the Knife found in the crime scene and followed the track upto the bedroom of Sanu Kanchha.
On 9th Ashwin 2075, the dog Kushal deployed from Pokhara sniffed the stone used in the murder of Shreya Sunar whose dead body was seen in the Jungle of Pumdibhumdi, Kodi and helped to arrest Kusum Pauel who was involved in the murder.
On 10th Ashwin 2075 during the highway checking a dog named 'Cherry' from Pokhara helped to arrest Paras Basyal (passenger) from Myagde rural municipality of Tanahu who was carrying 3 kg of marijuana in his luggage inside the bus which was going towards Pokhara.
On 29th Baishakh 2076, a dog named 'Deny' helped arrest the driver of a car containing 90 grams of Charash which was parking in the Tribhuvan International Airport.
In 2076/06/24-25 the bomb dogs from Canine Division were deployed for the security of Honorable President of China and made the event successfully secured.
On 24th Shrawan 2077, a black Poliglobal named suitcase containing dead body without head and legs was found at the side of road of Nawajyoti Route of Tokha Municipality. The dog named 'Jojo' was deployed for the investigation which sniffed the tumpline used to carry suitcase and followed the track of around 200 meter indicating another bag containing the remaining head and the legs of the dead body and thus helped to identify the dead body for further crime investigation.
On 10th Ashwin 2077, a dog named 'Laila' sniffed the broken glasses of beer bottle which was used to murder 12 years old Mina Rai from Barahakhsetra Municipality, Sunsari, followed the track of 1 km and indicated a house from where the culprit was arrested.
On 27th Mangsir 2077, a dog named 'Jumbo' was deployed in the murder case of Sushila Khadka from Kapilvastu in which the dog sniffed the evidence present at the crime scene and indicated 23yrs old Toran Bahadur Khadka who gave the statement of murder by himself.

Future plans of Canine Division

Upgrading of Canine Division into Central Police Canine Training and Operation Directorate by expanding canine services into zonal police units, district police units, vital installments (VVIP residences and offices, federal and provincial parliament buildings, Central administrative center of Singhadurbar, international airports, etc), jail and in national and international borders in near future.

An appeal to the general public

We request you to give priority to investigation by keeping the crime scene safe for the dogs to detect criminals.
Help keep our society healthy by making congenial environment for dogs to investigate and bring drug dealers to legal action.
Please give timely notice to the police where dogs can avert human and collateral losses by detecting arms and ammunitions.