Dogs to sniff out dope at Territory airports

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Sniffer dogs would be re-introduced to Darwin and Alice Springs airports to stop drug trafficking, a federal senator said yesterday.

 

Federal Senator Bronwyn Bishop made the pledge after a tour of Top End Aboriginal communities last week.

 

Senator Bishop said she was shocked by the revelation that children aged as young as 10 smoke cannabis in the Territory.

 

Senator Bishop, who chairs the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, said she was shocked by levels of juvenile drug use at communities.

 

The committee held public hearings last week in Darwin, Wadeye and Nguiu.

 

She said drug use was stopping community children obtaining a proper education.

 

"Alcohol is a problem for many adults on the communities," Senator Bishop said.

 

"But marijuana is a problem for the kids.

 

"We're talking about 10-year-old kids here.

 

"It affects their education and their prospects later."

 

Senator Bishop said she was angry to learn that drugs sniffer dogs had been withdrawn from service at Territory airports.

 

She said the dogs targeted amphetamine trafficking to communities, and were not adequately prepared for marijuana detection.

 

"We were told that if the dogs sniffed marijuana as well as amphetamines, it could reduce their capacity for identifying amphetamines," she said.

 

"We will implement sniffer dogs at airports only for the detection of cannabis."

 

She said it was too soon to say how much the dogs would cost to operate.

 

She said the introduction of sniffer dogs capable of detecting cannabis on passengers would be part of the Federal Government's Tough on Drugs campaign.

 

"Tough on Drugs also needs to be relevant to Aboriginal communities," she said.

 

Northern Territory News