Ten drug-detector dogs and their Customs and Excise Department handlers graduated with flying colours from the Police Dog Unit recently.

The graduation ceremony, held at the PDU's Headquarters at Queen's Hill Base in Fanling on November 25, saw Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) Cheung Chi-shum and Assistant Commissioner of Customs and Excise (Border and Drugs) David Tong Hin-yeung present certificates to the 10 dog/handler teams.

Showing off their new-found talents after the ceremony, two of the proficient pooches, Leo and Axe, successfully sniffed out heroin packages from a pile of luggage and from the back of a car.

The dog and handlers trained under the PDU programme in three batches from July to October.

It wasn't long before the probing pups put their skills to work. Two of the graduates, Rolo and Bruce, located 1.5 grams of heroin in a truck at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point on November 26, their first day of duty!

The graduation came just after Police search dog Hilton and a handful of his canine colleagues were presented awards by the Animals Asia Foundation, organisers of the Dr Dog Programme, on November 17 in recognition of their contribution to the community.

Dr Dog is an animal therapy programme which brings cute pooches to visit and provide companionship to the needy.

Senior Police Constables Chau Kwok-wah and Lau Hok-nam of the Police Dog Unit and their sidekicks Hilton and Drummer were called to help locate a missing woman with a mental illness in a remote village near Siu Lek Yuen, Sha Tin on November 3.

Hilton proved his nose for searches by locating the woman inside dense bush within 15 minutes.

During the ceremony, PC Hung Ping of Kowloon City Division also received an award on behalf of Rocky the police German Shepherd who was killed while chasing a suspect in Ho Man Tin in March.

ACP OPS Cheung Chi-shum congratulates graduates