Service dogs Greta and Amur helped customs officers detect drugs in a parcel and a bus

Customs officers recorded two cases of attempts to move prohibited substances across the state border. In both situations, service dogs played a decisive role in detecting the violations: a fox terrier named Greta and a dog named Amur.

Parcel from across the ocean contained psychotropic substances

While processing international mail addressed to the city of Uman, Kyiv customs officers identified a suspicious shipment from the US. According to the declaration, the box was supposed to contain household items: a set of towels, a hoodie, jeans, and a T-shirt. However, during the inspection, the fox terrier Greta reacted to a specific package, drawing the attention of the inspectors.

After opening the parcel, customs officers found dried mushrooms, ointment, plastic sticks, and other substances of plant origin. In total, eight items were seized, with a total net weight of 707 grams.

Expertise established that among the seized items were mushroom fruiting bodies containing psilocybin, cannabis resin, cannabis, and substances with tetrahydrocannabinol isomers, specifically delta-8- and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. The Kyiv Customs Office drew up a protocol under Part 2 of Article 473 of the Customs Code of Ukraine. The detected substances were seized, and the case materials will be referred to the court.

Bus trip from Romania: find in the luggage compartment

The second incident occurred at the "Dyakove" customs post on the Ukrainian-Romanian border. During the inspection of a passenger bus returning to Ukraine, the K9 unit deployed the service dog Amur.

The dog gave a signal for one of the luggage compartments. During the inspection, two cans containing a greenish-brown substance of plant origin were found among the passengers' personal belongings. The total mass of the contents was 72 grams. By external characteristics, this substance resembled cannabis (marijuana).

Based on the detection of these circumstances, the Zakarpattia Customs Office sent a notification to law enforcement agencies about the detection of an act with the signs of a criminal offence, provided for by Articles 307 and 309 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Procedural aspects of the cases

In the first case, concerning the postal shipment, the seized substances were sent for expertise, and further investigation will continue through court proceedings. Regarding the bus, law enforcement agencies received full information to carry out the corresponding checks.

It is important to note that the detection of suspicious substances is grounds for an investigation but does not imply the automatic proof of guilt of a specific individual. All circumstances of both incidents will be established within the framework of current legislation.