A detector dog has halted a range of contraband and illegal drugs entering Christchurch men’s prison.
River the detector dog was tasked with checking items at the receiving office when she came across a brown paper bag containing a fan for a prisoner.
She gave a classic indication thatnarcotics were sealed within the fan which caught the attention of her handler and best friend, Christian Swift.
The fan was x-rayed, which showed items concealed inside.
When staff unscrewed the fan, they found a range of contraband including 1.68g of methamphetamine, 2.4g of marijuana, 11.73g of tobacco, and a cell phone and charger.
A range of contraband was found, including 1.68g of methamphetamine, 2.4g of marijuana, 11.73g of tobacco, and a cell phone and charger. Photo / Supplied
Swift said he was very proud of River’s work and skills.
“It is a truly remarkable find and River did an amazing job at leading us straight to the source,” Swift said.
“Drugs can create dangerous situations for staff, and prevent prisoners from engaging in rehabilitation, education and employment opportunities.
“Mobile phones can be used to commit further offences while behind bars.
“Many prisoners go to extreme lengths to get contraband behind bars, so our highly trained detector dogs are a critical part of our work to improve public safety and the safety of our work environments.”
River had been tasked with checking items at the receiving office when she made the discovery. Photo / Supplied
But this wasn’t the first time River showcased her talents for sniffing out contraband.
She is a two-time Corrections National Champion in Body Pack Search, taking out the title in 2023 and 2024, which involves identifying contraband concealed on a person.
Swift said River is an extremely hardworking pup, but loves to “decompress after the work day with bursts of zoomies at home”.
River came across a brown paper bag containing a fan for a prisoner. Photo / Supplied
A range of methods are used at prisons across New Zealand to prevent drugs, weapons, cellphones and other prohibited items from entering.
They include 24 detector dog teams, x-ray technology, monitoring of prisoner telephone calls and single points of entry to sites.
The incident has been reported to police for further investigation.
