“Money has no smell,” as the popular adage goes. And yet… Pavot, a 5-year-old Labrador, is the only dog from the Interregional Customs Directorate of the Grand Est specialized in the detection, not of narcotics as his name might suggest, but of banknotes… and tobacco. Assigned to Thionville customs, this labrador with unparalleled flair works regularly in the sector, just like Sax (3 years old) and Oggy (6 years old). Labradors also but specialized in the detection of drugs ranging from cannabis to weed including cocaine, heroin, amphetamines or ecstasy.
If the law has changed somewhat since the decree of March 27, which now authorizes cigarette smokers to bring back four cartridges for their personal use (compared to one previously), some do not hesitate to fill their car trunk with cartridges and tobacco pots. “We know that 80,000 cross-border workers go to Luxembourg every day,” underlines Francis Meyer, regional customs inspector. We have relatively few offenses with locals but more with people from other departments, and in particular from the Grand Ouest, who sometimes engage in real trafficking. »
Six customs agents were mobilized this Tuesday morning for an operation carried out with Reï (labrador from the Saint-Avold brigade specializing in the search for narcotics) and Pavot. Installed on board a screen-printed vehicle, agents observe the flow of traffic and intercept vehicles to take them to the checkpoint based, for the occasion, in Kanfen.
“Know your dog well”
Like this big BMW of Romanian nationals who, returning from the country, stopped in Luxembourg to do some shopping. And in particular three jars of tobacco which, although imposing, will not be the subject of a customs offense since they are equivalent to two and a half cartons of cigarettes. The officers decide to conduct a thorough check of the vehicle. The trunk is emptied of luggage and goods so as not to distort Pavot’s sense of smell. The dog will walk around the vehicle, inside and out. In order, these long-distance travelers calmly resume their journey.
“The most difficult thing is the odors which are confined, like for tickets or ecstasy for example. For weed or tobacco, the smell diffuses easily. Hence the importance of knowing your dog and its behavior well. When his pupils dilate or he pumps his nose, these are signs. The dog has lived with us since he was two and a half months old, comments Pavot’s dog handler. It’s a real pair, an incredible bond between him and us. We must not only educate him but also make him aware so that he is not afraid of his environment. »
That morning, Pavot, the youngest of the Thionville brigade, will fail. But no matter, it has already led to the discovery of 1.5 tonnes of tobacco in a clandestine factory.
