PCG training 20 K-9 dogs to detect smuggled agri products

Around 20 police dogs are currently being trained by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to detect smuggled agricultural products.

“Alam naman natin na laging nababalita na mayroong mga pumapasok na smuggled agricultural products like onions, garlic, sugar, frozen meat, even galunggong. Kaya po ang ating mga aso ay ating sinanay na umamoy ng mga agricultural products,” PCG K-9 Force Commander Commodore Allen Dalangin said in Mark Salazar’s report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday.

(We have been seeing reports of smuggled agricultural products entering the country like onions, garlic, sugar, frozen meat, and galunggong. That’s why we’re training our dogs to sniff out agricultural products.)

According to Dalangin, among the K-9 units in training are Limuel, a Belgian Malinois that can now sniff out garlic and onion hidden in boxes; Sugar, a Jack Russel that can search for explosives and sugar products; and Nellie, whose nose can identify processed meat.

The PCG chief said the police dogs have been training to become agricultural products detection K-9 for two weeks but have already taken part in busting 57 sacks of suspected smuggled white onions in an operation in Divisoria over the weekend.

“Part na po 'yan ng ating collaboration with the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Agriculture. Kasama po kami sa mga nag-operate last weekend na nakahuli ng around 57 sacks of onions na mga imported ang smuggled,” said Dalangin.

(This is part of the collaboration between the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Agriculture. We were part of the team that operated last week and seized around 57 sacks of imported smuggled onions.)

For its part, the Department of Agriculture said it has yet to issue an import permit for white onions.

“Wala po tayong importation permit na lumalabas. Wala pong white onion dapat na dumarating,” DA Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said.

(We have yet to issue an importation permit so no white onions should enter the country.)

“That is one problem and the other thing is pag ang produkto ay smuggled, hindi po ito dumaan sa food safety protocols. Hindi po nakakasiguro ang ating consumers na safe ito. Nagkaroon po ng inspection ang Bureau of Plant Industry at base sa kanilang inventory, wala na pong white onions sa cold storage facilities,” she added.

(That is one problem and the other thing is if the products are smuggled, they did not pass through the food safety protocols. Their safety is not ensured. The Bureau of Plant Industry also conducted an inspection and based on their inventory, there are no white onions in the cold storage.) — Sundy Locus/BM, GMA News