TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced on Wednesday (Dec. 20) that three of its drug-sniffing dogs have reached the end of their service this year, with one continuing under the Customs Administration's evaluation, and the other two retiring in October.
During their routine press conference, the ministry highlighted the reports on the military's efforts on drug prevention, noting that 18 additional detection dogs were deployed across northern, central, southern, and eastern regions in December 2022.
Major General Chen Heng-wei from the MND said that the detection squads had conducted 467 assigned smell duties through educational recalls and base applications.
Throughout the year, operational areas designated 211 smell duties, with 145 requests coming from military bases. Educational recall accounted for 104 situations, with 7 cases relating to judicial affairs, including one emergency deployment.
The government mandates a service limit of four years for these canines, but dogs in good condition may serve up to seven years.
The establishment of drug-sniffing dog units began in 2020 as part of efforts to deter military personnel from bringing drugs into the barracks, illustrating the ministry's ongoing commitment to maintaining zero tolerance for drugs within military facilities.