The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has spent more than one lakh rupees on buying and training a Belgian Malinois for its dog squad guarding the Delhi Metro.
‘Khoj’, a dog from the same breed, which is believed to have accompanied the US Navy Seal team that killed Osama bin Laden, is set to become the first track dog to join the force in protecting Delhi Metro.
Khoj has been sent for a 10-month training at Central Reserve Police Force’s dog training centre in Bengaluru after the Central Industrial Security Force bought it from a private breeder last week, reports Hindustan Times.
CISF officials said over Rs 1 lakh, provided by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, had been spent on buying and training the dog, “making it the most expensive member of the CISF dog squad,” the publication reports.
Officials said the dog will help the CISF in identifying fidayeen attackers with explosives, etc.
Belgian Malinois dogs shot to prominence for reportedly assisting the US Navy Seal team in their raid on Al-Qaeda chief bin Laden’s Abbottabad hideout in Pakistan.
Belgian Malinois dogs were part of a special squad of dogs that had been used to conduct anti-sabotage checks before the US President Barack Obama’s visit to New Delhi in 2015.
They are also used by the National Security Guard and by the CRPF in Maoist-hit areas since 2011 besides the Kaziranga National Park in Assam to track down poachers.
A senior CISF officer quoted by the Hindustan Times said the dog will not be used for regular patrolling.
“A Belgian Malinois can walk up to 25-30 kilometres continuously. Their assault and biting power also makes them far better than their competitors. Also, they are the best in multi-tasking. So far, in more than 250 cases our dogs have helped us detect an ambush, IEDs, suspects or weapons. More than 170 of these were Belgian Malinois,” deputy inspector general CRPF, Moses Dhinakaran, in-charge of the dog training institute in Bengaluru, said.
Dhinakaran said Khoj’s three- month-old age was perfect for starting training. “Training lasts for 40 weeks. We start with familiarising the dog with sound of bullets and explosives and making him used to heights and smoke so that these things do not scare him in a real time situation. Then comes obedience training and after that we start teaching them how to track. Tracking training is followed by assault and other requirements as demanded by the CISF,” the DIG said.
"After nine months of rigorous training, the dog will be sent on a month-long jungle camp, he said. “It has to then undergo an exam. If it passes the test, it is handed over to the agency. Else, another three months of training follows,” DIG Dhinakaran said.
Khoj will be stationed at the CISF’s Shastri Park kennel to secure Delhi Metro and Delhi airport if required. At present, the DMRC unit of CISF has 63 dogs.