Cambodia Deploys Drug Detection Dogs as Police Plan Expansion to 400

Ten Dogs Join a Wider Push Against Drug Trafficking

Cambodia has handed 10 locally trained drug detection dogs to the National Police as it develops a wider canine programme that Interior Minister Sar Sokha wants eventually to expand to as many as 400 dogs across provincial and municipal police units.

The handover in early 2025 followed 96 days of training for 20 police officers and five Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) staff at the Kampong Chhnang Mine Action Technical Institute. The programme brings together CMAC's experience in training detection dogs and the National Police's responsibility for preventing and investigating drug crime.

The new deployment comes amid a substantial volume of drug enforcement activity. Official statistics for the first five months of 2025 recorded more than two tonnes of narcotics and chemical precursors seized in 4,134 cases, with 10,765 suspects arrested, including 862 women. Chemical precursors are substances used to make drugs.

Initial operations involving the newly trained dogs are centred in Phnom Penh's Chbar Ampov district, in cooperation with the National Police's Special Intervention Unit. Authorities also identify border checkpoints, airports, tourist zones, special economic zones and development areas as priority locations for canine support.

As of June 23, 2025, Cambodia's plans combine local breeding and training, assistance from Vietnam and a proposed expansion across the country. The immediate task is to turn that capacity into effective searches while keeping dogs healthy, maintaining their skills and preparing enough officers to work with them.

From Mine Detection to Police Searches

CMAC has long trained dogs for mine detection, peacekeeping and security work. Its expansion into drug detection applies that experience to trafficking networks that are becoming more sophisticated and operate across national borders.

Cambodia previously relied on dogs imported after training abroad, an arrangement described as expensive and difficult to organise. CMAC has since developed the ability to breed, train and deploy dogs within Cambodia for several detection tasks, including finding mines and narcotics.

Heng Ratana, CMAC's director general, said Cambodia now has the talent, experience and full ownership of the breeding and training process needed to meet national requirements. He also said CMAC can supply specialised detection dogs to the international community, reflecting the growing reputation of its training programmes.

Local breeding and training have a practical purpose. Dogs raised in Cambodia become accustomed to its climate and operating conditions. Imported dogs may need time to adjust to the country's heat and humidity, which can affect their performance.

The programme therefore connects two forms of preparation: developing dogs suited to the work and developing Cambodian staff who can train, handle and care for them. Both are needed if police are to maintain canine units beyond an initial handover.

What the Training Involves

A drug detection dog uses its sense of smell to identify narcotics, including small traces concealed from view. A dog's smell system is estimated to be tens of thousands of times more sensitive than a person's, allowing it to detect substances that may escape manual searches or conventional screening such as X-rays.

Training typically takes between nine and 12 months. The process begins by selecting suitable puppies, often German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois or Labradors, breeds valued for intelligence, agility and a strong sense of smell.

Dogs first learn basic obedience before being introduced to the scents of different narcotics. Handlers use positive reinforcement, rewarding a successful identification with food treats or play. The dog learns to connect finding the target smell with a reward, encouraging it to keep searching.

Training also exposes the dogs to different surroundings and search situations so that they can work outside a familiar training site. A dog prepared for police operations must be able to carry out its task in the environments where officers need it.

The 96 days of instruction completed by the police officers and CMAC staff covered drug detection techniques alongside care, nutrition and continued conditioning. These daily responsibilities help preserve the dogs' health and working ability after formal training ends.

How the Police Partnership Took Shape

CMAC and the National Police formalised their cooperation through a memorandum of understanding signed in January 2025. The agreement covers cooperation in demining and explosive ordnance disposal as well as the partnership supporting canine operations.

Explosive ordnance disposal means dealing with dangerous explosive devices or ammunition. Including that work alongside demining reflects the broader range of security tasks for which the two organisations can share expertise.

National Police Chief General Sar Thet said canine units are important for improving national security and public order, both within Cambodia and for international stakeholders. The drug detection deployment places that cooperation into police operations.

The main developments described by June 23 follow this sequence:

• January 2025: CMAC and the National Police signed their cooperation agreement, which also covers demining and explosive ordnance disposal.
• Early 2025: CMAC handed over 10 drug detection dogs after a 96 day training programme for 20 police officers and five CMAC staff.
• January to May 2025: Official drug enforcement statistics recorded 4,134 cases, 10,765 arrests and seizures exceeding two tonnes of narcotics and chemical precursors.

The partnership gives the police access to CMAC's established training experience while placing the dogs with officers responsible for searches and enforcement. Continued cooperation is also needed to keep handlers and dogs ready for operational work.

Where the Dogs Are Expected to Work

Phnom Penh's Chbar Ampov district is the initial focus of operations involving the newly trained dogs and the Special Intervention Unit. Their main task is to support the prevention and suppression of drug crime.

Border checkpoints and airports are among the locations identified for canine deployment because they are places where people and goods enter or leave the country. Tourist zones, special economic zones and development areas are also priorities in the programme's operational plans.

Major General Chhin Bunran, director of the Kampong Chhnang Provincial Mine Action Technical Institute, said the dogs can help officers find drugs concealed in places that are difficult to search. That ability is particularly useful as traffickers adopt increasingly sophisticated methods of hiding shipments.

Hang Pitou, administration office chief of the DTA Rehabilitation Drug Addiction Treatment Centre in Phnom Penh, also pointed to the value of positioning dogs at airports and border checkpoints. He said using them strategically at these locations can increase the chances of intercepting drug shipments and apprehending offenders.

The planned concentration on border provinces responds to the movement of drugs and chemicals across Cambodia's land borders. Those flows serve both domestic consumption and trafficking onward to other countries.

Vietnam Supplies 30 Detection Dogs

Vietnam has supported Cambodia's canine capacity with a donation of 30 detection dogs, divided equally between mine detection and drug detection. The contribution comprises 15 dogs for each task.

The donation formed part of a recent meeting between Cambodia's deputy prime minister and minister of interior, Sar Sokha, and Vietnam's minister of public security, Luong Tam Quang. It reflects the two countries' close diplomatic and security ties and their shared commitment to tackling crime across their border.

The wider agreement includes stronger law enforcement cooperation, border security and police training. The dogs are therefore one part of a broader security relationship, alongside the training and coordination needed to use them.

Vietnam's contribution also sits alongside Cambodia's investment in domestic breeding. Local training develops capacity inside the country, while assistance from a neighbour supplies additional dogs for two separate security needs: detecting narcotics and finding mines.

Regional cooperation matters because trafficking routes often cross several borders in the Greater Mekong Subregion. A search inside Cambodia may address only one stage of a shipment's journey, making cooperation with neighbouring authorities part of the same enforcement effort.

The Scale of Cambodia's Drug Challenge

Cambodia's figures for the first five months of 2025 show the workload facing enforcement agencies: 4,134 drug cases and 10,765 suspects arrested, including 862 women. Seizures during that period exceeded two tonnes when narcotics and chemical precursors were counted together.

Those figures describe several connected tasks for police. Officers must investigate drug offences, intercept finished drugs and find chemicals that can be used in production. Detection dogs are being introduced to support that work as the drug problem becomes more complex and dangerous.

Lieutenant General Khoeng Sarath, director of the Anti-Drug Department, has called for closer cooperation and more effective prevention, control and suppression of drug crime. He has also stressed proper care and regular training for the canine units so that they remain effective in the field.

The scale of the proposed expansion reflects those demands. Sar Sokha's ambition to deploy up to 400 drug detection dogs would extend canine support across provincial and municipal police units, with particular attention to tightening enforcement in border provinces.

The programme's expansion plans do not give a date for reaching 400 dogs. Police must build handling and care capacity alongside the number of animals available for deployment.

Breeding Plans Extend Beyond Drug Searches

CMAC manages around 144 dogs and plans to breed an additional 100 during 2025. The planned breeding programme is intended to support Cambodia's national forces and could also supply international organisations and other countries.

The National Dog Centre is central to the wider ambition. Cambodia wants to develop it into a regional centre for training and exporting dogs with skills in detecting explosives and drugs, carrying out security tasks and tracking wildlife.

Those roles require different kinds of preparation, even though they draw on the same broad foundation of selecting dogs, training them to recognise target scents and preparing handlers. CMAC's experience with mines provides an established base from which to develop additional specialities.

Heng Ratana's assessment that Cambodia can supply specialised dogs internationally gives the programme a purpose beyond meeting domestic demand. Cambodia is seeking both greater independence in training its own detection dogs and a role as a supplier of that expertise to others.

The immediate expansion still depends on practical resources. More dogs require enough trained handlers, suitable care, continued conditioning and veterinary support, whether they are assigned to Cambodian agencies or prepared for work abroad.

A Regional Response to Synthetic Drugs

The Greater Mekong Subregion includes Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, China and Thailand. It is a major production and transit area for synthetic drugs, particularly methamphetamine, creating substantial challenges for law enforcement agencies across the region.

Synthetic drugs are made through chemical processes. The movement of chemical precursors therefore matters alongside trafficking in finished drugs, helping explain why Cambodia's seizure figures include both narcotics and chemicals used in their manufacture.

At the 11th Sub-Regional Action Plan Review Workshop on Drugs in Phnom Penh, Cambodian officials urged neighbouring countries to strengthen controls against drug trafficking. They also called for new drugs with the potential for abuse to be banned quickly.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has supported these regional efforts with technical assistance, equipment and training. Cambodia's canine programme fits into this wider effort to improve national capabilities while coordinating action across borders.

Developing local dog training capacity also supports Cambodia's ambition to take a larger role in regional security cooperation. Its plans to supply detection dogs internationally connect domestic enforcement needs with the needs of other countries facing similar trafficking challenges.

Keeping the Dogs and Their Handlers Ready

General Meas Vyrith, secretary general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, has pointed to the dogs' ability to recognise scents that people cannot detect. That gives officers another way to locate concealed narcotics.

He has also cautioned that canine detection must be part of a broader strategy involving intelligence gathering, community engagement and international cooperation. Dogs contribute to searches, while those other activities help authorities identify trafficking activity and coordinate a response.

Maintaining that contribution requires sustained spending on veterinary care, training and handler support. Dogs need to remain healthy, motivated and familiar with their work. Clear deployment procedures and accountability are also needed to ensure they are used ethically and effectively.

Government and international partners have provided financial support for the programme. During a recent visit, Khoeng Sarath gave financial incentives to officers caring for the dogs and to special intervention officers involved in handling them, recognising their role in keeping the units operational.

Cambodia's expansion will depend on continued investment in people and technical resources, together with the ability to respond to emerging threats and technologies used in drug trafficking. For the officers receiving the first dogs, the continuing work includes feeding, care and repeated training as well as searches.

Key Points

• CMAC handed 10 drug detection dogs to the National Police in early 2025 after training 20 police officers and five CMAC staff for 96 days.
• Initial operations involve the Special Intervention Unit in Phnom Penh's Chbar Ampov district, with border checkpoints, airports and other priority areas identified for canine support.
• Vietnam donated 30 detection dogs: 15 for finding mines and 15 for detecting drugs.
• Cambodia recorded 4,134 drug cases, 10,765 arrests and seizures exceeding two tonnes of narcotics and chemical precursors in the first five months of 2025.
• CMAC manages around 144 dogs and plans to breed another 100 in 2025 for national needs and possible international supply.
• Sar Sokha has announced an ambition to deploy up to 400 drug detection dogs across provincial and municipal police units, particularly in border provinces.
• Continued training, veterinary care, handler support, intelligence work and regional cooperation are central to sustaining the programme.