The United Arab Emirates Federal Customs Authority (FCA), in partnership with Four Winds DiagNose UAE, launches the FCAâs first ever sniffer dog unit for security screening at national borders crossing points.
In October 2018 DiagNose and FourWinds K9, ICTS Europeâs subsidiaries in the canine sector, established the Federal Customs Authorityâs (FCA) first canine unit, responsible for the screening for explosives and drugs. The launch is part of a plan to begin deploying specially-trained dogs in K9 units across the UAEâs custom facilities at ports of entry.
Based in Umm Al Quwain, the unit will conduct its customs operations around the UAE in coordination with local customs departments. It will cover all points of entry to the country including seaports, airports and land border crossings.
With an operational pool of 50-strong dog-handler teams, the unit is already one of the largest in the Middle East. Linda Boeijen, Managing Director of Four Winds DiagNose UAE, said:
âThis has been a tremendous milestone for DiagNose and FourWinds K9. In just under four months, and working to a very tight schedule, we managed to establish a complete canine unit made up of 50 handlers and dogs. The extreme summer temperatures of the UAE were in sharp contrast to our usual working environment in The Netherlands, and we thank the Federal Customs Authority for their cooperation and support in overcoming many of the challenges we faced throughout the project. We consider this strong collaboration to be a key factor in the success of this project. We value their patronage and appreciate their confidence in us. Counting the Federal Customs Authority among our customers is something for which we are especially grateful. We are delighted and very proud of our expanded business in the Middle Eastâ.
