Mangaluru: Rana, a Belgian Malinois, who is nearly three years old, is adding strength to Mangaluru City police’s anti-drug drive. City police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH said that there is a dog that was already trained and not being used, so it will now be utilised for narcotics detection.DCP CAR Umesh P said there are five members in the dog squad, including two for crime detection, two for explosive detection, and one for narcotics detection. Bubli and Ruby, dobermans, are used for crime detection, while Rani and Charlie, labrador retrievers, are used for explosive detection.Harish S, the handler of Rana, said the canine was trained at the Adugodi CAR South Police Dog Training Centre. “Rana was inducted as a three-month-old pup and underwent six months of intensive training, completing the course by the time he was nine months old. Daily practice continues even after formal training,” he said.Rana has excelled in service and won two gold medals, one at the range-level and another at the state-level duty competitions. The dog was donated by Dr Ganapathi Bhat. Harish noted that handling Rana is challenging due to the breed’s aggressive and high-energy nature, but consistent training and rigorous discipline have helped shape the dog into a reliable police asset. The dog is deployed for narcotics search operations in public places such as railway stations, bus stands, and even within jail premises.DCP (law and order) Mithun HN said police will intensify search and surveillance operations in the coming days. He said the department is committed to curbing the drug menace in the city and ensuring that drug peddlers are behind bars. “We are also tracking previous offenders booked last year to verify whether they have resumed peddling. This is one of the reasons for the rise in the number of recent cases,” he added.It may be recalled that Mangaluru City police in June introduced a QR code-based anonymous reporting system to help make educational campuses drug-free. “We are receiving a significant amount of information through this mechanism, and nearly 70% of the inputs are actionable,” the DCP said. He added that several colleges are voluntarily conducting drug tests.The department has sought bail cancellation for those who violate bail conditions. “We are also recommending bond forfeiture for habitual offenders and rowdy-sheeters,” he said.Last month, police booked 31 cases under Section 27B of NDPS and 39 people were arrested. Under Section 8C, three cases were booked, and four persons were arrested. Police seized 16.3g of MDMA worth 6,80,000 and 500g of hydroponic ganja worth 15,00,000.
