A black Labrador specially trained to detect controlled drugs

A CANNINE cop has been sniffing out drug users in Chester.

As part of the National Drugs Week initiative, police officers hit the streets with a specially trained ‘passive drug dog’.

Molly, a black Labrador, who is specially trained to detect controlled drugs on people, visited several licensed premises in the city with officers.

She also worked the main streets and areas where drug-takers are known to frequent.

Molly’s keen sense of smell led to three arrests for possession of cocaine and a male was given a street caution for possessing cannabis.

Inspector Mel Williams, of Chester Inner Neighbourhood Policing Unit said: “Officers also recovered several drug deals which had clearly been discarded in anticipation of Molly sniffing them out. We will be making this a regular tactic to drive drugs from our streets and night time economy.”

This type of dog has been used in the past, in Ellesmere Port and Frodsham, to good effect and now Molly has proved she too has a nose for city crime.

Sergeant Andy Pickup added: “The dog is highly trained to smell various different types of drugs and to direct officers to those drugs when they are sensed.

“The dogs are an invaluable tool for police and provide a service that is impossible for officers to perform.”