A team of ten highly skilled dogs from various Indian Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and special commando units has been dispatched to France to ensure the safety and security of different locations during the upcoming Paris Olympics, which are set to kick off on July 26.
The trained canine teams, along with their handlers, have been carefully selected from prominent CAPFs such as the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the National Security Guard (NSG), and the Assam Rifles.
“At the request of the French Government, our elite #K9 team is deployed for critical anti-sabotage duties at the #ParisOlympics2024. This historic first for Indian CAPF showcases our unwavering commitment to global security,” ITBP shared on X (formerly Twitter).
The ten Indian K9 teams have been assigned sniffing and patrol responsibilities at various Olympic event venues. This collaboration marks the first-ever partnership between Indian and French canine squads, following a specialized 10-week training program for the teams.
These dogs, predominantly of the Belgian Malinois breed, are renowned for their roles in infantry patrol and anti-sabotage sniffer tasks, including bomb detection, improvised explosive device (IED) detection, and identifying troublemakers during internal security operations.
The handlers of these ten canine teams have undergone refresher physical training and a special capsule course in the basics of the French language to prepare for their Olympic assignment.
The deployment of the Indian dog squads will align with the requirements of the French Police and security agencies, as part of the security cooperation between the two nations. India will be represented at the Games by a contingent of 117 athletes.
(with PTI inputs)
