Police K-9 unit gets more bite with 75 new dogs

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bukit Aman's K-9 unit will now have bigger bite with 75 new dogs, says Comm Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd.

The Bukit Aman CID director said the unit currently has 94 tracker dogs, 171 police personnel and 56 vehicles.

"The unit will get an extra 75 dogs to replace the ones that have died, sick or the ones being rested.

"It is high time the unit gets the recognition it deserves, and it begins with additional tracker dogs," he said in his speech before launching the K-9 Memorial at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) on Tuesday (Nov 27).

Comm Wan Ahmad said this year marks the 50-year golden jubilee of the unit, which was formed in 1968.

"The unit's contribution, particularly the various dogs in its ranks, is priceless.

"This memorial is a long time coming and the unit deserves it. It is the brainchild of Pahang police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Zakaria Ahmad, who wanted to honour the sacrifices of the unit," Comm Wan Ahmad Najmuddin said.

Since its inception, the unit has had 569 dogs, he added.

"The memorial is a fitting to tribute to them," he said.

The dogs have multiple roles in the police force, including for tracking drugs and dead bodies, as well as solving other crimes nationwide, he added.

"Usually, our K-9 dogs are imported from China and Germany as both countries have good breeds.

"We will ensure that all the dogs are given ample training by our non-Muslim personnel in en effort to combat crime effectively," he said.

Comm Wan Ahmad Najmuddin said he personally paid tribute to a dog from the K-9 unit in Johor when he was the then state police chief.

"I presented the dog with the "Jasamu Dikenang" medal as it was instrumental in leading police to catch the "Geng Kapak" robber gang in 2016," he said.