NACOC officers trained to detect drugs on ships

Officers of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) K9 Unit are undergoing a specialised training programme led by the Netherlands Police to enhance their capacity to combat transnational organised crime and narcotics trafficking.

The week-long exercise, being held in Abidjan, is conducted in collaboration with the Gendarmerie K9 Unit and runs from April 13 to April 17.

According to a statement posted on Facebook by NACOC, the training focuses on strengthening the operational skills of handlers and sniffer dogs in detecting concealed narcotics, particularly on maritime vessels.

Key areas of the programme include boarding procedures, systematic ship searches and advanced detection techniques using trained K9 dogs, all aimed at improving interdiction efforts along sea routes.

The Commission noted that maritime channels continue to be a major conduit for international drug trafficking networks, making specialised training in this area critical to enforcement efforts.

The initiative is expected to significantly boost the ability of NACOC officers to identify and intercept illicit drugs, especially those trafficked through ports and territorial waters.

It also forms part of broader international collaboration to tackle organised crime and enhance border security across the West African sub-region.

The partnership further underscores the increasing reliance on intelligence-led operations and canine units as effective tools in disrupting drug trafficking networks.