DRUG DOGS SEARCH KANDAHAR TROOPS

OTTAWA - Canadian military police have started using drug dogs to
search troops' bags at Kandahar Air Field after being tipped about
soldiers suspected of using heroin, hash and pot, say newly released
documents.

Although there were no drug seizures reported, a briefing note says
illegal drugs are readily available in Afghanistan and present a
"temptation for Canadian troops in the form of personal use and in the
form of importation for the purpose of trafficking."

The documents, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to
Information Act, indicate there were at least five targeted and random
searches of soldiers' belongings in June and July at Kandahar Air Field.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, an independent
military police unit, used dogs trained to sniff out drugs to search
about 90 soldiers and more than 100 barrack boxes.