DRUG DOG CHESS HAS ALL THE INGREDIENTS

Customs drug dog Chess has become the first of her canine colleagues
trained to detect precursor substances used to make methamphetamine.

The German short-haired pointer has spent six weeks learning how to sniff
out ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

The precursor substances are harder to detect than other drugs because they
emit less odour, although Chess yesterday showed she was up to the task.

At a training exercise at the Customs Service headquarters in Auckland, she
took less than two minutes to detect 400g of ephedrine pills stashed inside
the boot of a car.

Chess is one of two dogs who have undergone training to detect precursor
substances, which Customs says are flooding into the country to supply
methamphetamine cooks.

The dogs can also detect cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Ecstasy and
cannabis.

A third drug dog is about to start training to detect the precursors and a
fourth will next year be trained in seeking out just white-powder drugs.

White-powder-only drug dogs have been used in Australia with "awesome
results", said Customs staff.

Chess has been working 3 1/2 years and made 350 "captures". The dogs are
trained to detect drug odours using a reward system.

"They're definitely not addicted [to the drugs]," a Customs dog handler said.