UNODC trains K9 units to detect illegal firearms at Trinidad and Tobago ports and airports
UNODC delivered a two-week K9 training course in Port of Spain to help law enforcement detect illicit firearms at seaports and airports across Trinidad and Tobago.
K9 units trained to sniff out illegal guns at Trinidad and Tobago borders
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has completed a two-week specialised training course for police dog units in Port of Spain, equipping local law enforcement with canine detection skills targeting illicit firearms, parts, components and ammunition.
The course ran from 7 to 18 July 2025 and brought together ten participants from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the Transnational Organized Crime Unit, the Prison Service and the Customs and Excise Division.
Videsh Maharaj, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Homeland Security, addressed the opening ceremony and described the programme as urgent and nationally significant. "This is not simple training. This is a transformation. This programme marks a turning point in Trinidad and Tobago's efforts to dismantle the machinery of illicit arms trafficking," he said.
Maharaj further characterised the initiative as "a strategic intervention and an investment in human capital, operational resilience and public safety," forming part of a broader national strategy that includes legislative reform, international co-operation and enhanced frontline capacity.
The curriculum combined theoretical modules with hands-on exercises at live operational sites. Participants conducted fieldwork at key security points including Piarco International Airport and the Port of Port of Spain, applying detection techniques in high-pressure, real-world settings. Specific topics covered included scent detection, indication training, search strategies, stress management in working dogs and K9 operational deployment best practices.
A central feature of the programme was live mentoring sessions in which police dogs simulated firearm detection at airports and harbours, including cargo areas, jetty terminals and passenger facilities.
Alongside the training, unodc.org reports that UNODC conducted a detailed needs assessment of existing canine units in the country. That assessment involved interviews with participants and field evaluations to identify gaps in infrastructure, operational procedures, breeding programmes and training requirements. Conditions of kennels, equipment availability and long-term programme sustainability received particular attention.
Equipment was donated to support the continued development of national K9 detection capacities, and the course served as a platform for inter-agency dialogue and collaboration among the participating institutions.
The initiative falls under UNODC's Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, a regional effort to counter illicit firearms trafficking and strengthen detection at borders and strategic entry points. Maharaj reaffirmed the government's commitment to integrating canine detection into the national security framework on a long-term basis. UNODC has indicated it stands ready to continue building those capabilities as a component of border security and criminal investigation strategy.
Source: Google News TT — Crime