Pawsome: India Deploys Its Elite K9 Squad To Guard Paris Olympics

Five-year-old Vast and three-year-old Denby, both Belgian Malinois K9 units of the CRPF, are set to join a contingent of 10 K9 squads deployed for security duties at the Paris Olympics starting next week.

These squads, comprising dogs and their handlers from various central armed police forces (CAPFs) like CRPF, NSG, SSB, and ITBP, will remain in Paris until August 11. They will conduct essential tasks such as sniffing and patrolling under the supervision of French authorities responsible for securing the Olympic venues and events, reported Times of India.

The deployment of these K9 teams to the Olympics marks the first international assignment of an Indian CAPF K9 unit outside disaster relief efforts, highlighting their specialised training and preparedness.

Vast and Denby, along with their counterparts, underwent rigorous training at the CRPF's dog breeding and training school in Taralu near Bengaluru. This training focused on equipping them for roles that include sniffing, searching, and patrolling duties essential for the Paris Olympics security detail.

Senior CRPF officials said that these dogs, including Vast and Denby, received specialised conditioning to adapt to their responsibilities as part of the Paris Olympics security team.

Besides this, their handlers also underwent basic familiarisation with the French language to facilitate effective communication and coordination during their deployment.

Upon arrival in Paris, the K9 teams received a warm welcome from Jawed Ashraf, the Indian ambassador to France and Monaco, who shared a photo of their meeting, expressing pride in their role supporting security efforts for #ParisOlympics2024.

These Belgian Shepherd Malinois dogs are renowned for their agility, strength, and intelligence, qualities that make them valuable assets in police and security operations globally.

They have previously been involved in significant operations, such as locating Osama bin Laden's hideout and pursuing ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.