SCENT OF OUTRAGE IN CUSTOMS TEST

Few airline passengers object to baggage inspection and metal-detector
checks as part of aviation security. They also understand the need to
search for illegal drugs.

What is not acceptable is the use of travellers as test subjects to train
Canada Customs dogs.

Yet, despite departmental warnings to customs dog-handlers since at least
1998 about breaching federal policy, drugs and firearms have been planted
in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers at Canadian airports. Customs
dogs are then supposed to track down the marked items, which are recovered
with the luggage owner being none the wiser. That's the theory though it
bombed when a Fredericton senior got home from Florida to find marijuana in
her bag - put there at Moncton airport.

She says Canada Customs never apologized (it says it did) but this remains
a sad and sorry incident in the conduct of federal workers. The argument
among some dog-handlers in violation of the rules seems to be that no one
knows so it is OK. This is an outrageous "training" procedure that holds in
contempt laws the border authorities are bound to enforce.

The department recognizes the potential embarrassment but at the same time
confirmed the dog-handler in the Moncton incident is still with Canada
Customs. That doesn't show much remorse - as if getting caught was the only
crime, an attitude we're sure is shared by real smugglers.