Detector dogs are one of our not-so-secret weapons when it comes to targeting proceeds of crime, helping Police and New Zealand Customs recover millions of dollars in cash every year.

Since the first cash detector dogs were trialled at Auckland International Airport from 2012 to 2013 – one for Police and one for Customs – the Reserve Bank New Zealand (RBNZ) has played an important role in enabling their continued success.

Following the trial, all Police narcotic detector dogs have also been trained on cash. Today, Police and Customs detector dogs are routinely trained to detect drugs, cash and firearms. One dog can detect all three odours.

As part of that training, the Reserve Bank lends Police thousands of dollars of fresh bank notes that are used to imprint the odour of the currency on the dogs.

They also provide bags of shredded cash (pictured, right, with the fresh bank notes) that are regularly rotated to make sure the dogs are familiar with the latest odours.

“The shredded currency is great and we use it to maintain capability,” says Dave Huff, Chief Customs Officer for the Pacific Detector Dog Programme (PDDP).

Established in 2018, the PDDP is jointly managed by the New Zealand Police and New Zealand Customs Service and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“Cash has a strong odour, and in the border environment especially,” says Dave.

“Having detector dogs in New Zealand and throughout the Pacific region that are trained to detect drugs, cash and firearms enables us to have coordinated operations.

“The relationship with the Reserve Bank has been critical in that and we’ve had that since the day we started.”

Ian Woolford, Director of Money and Cash at RBNZ, says the Reserve Bank is happy to assist Police in our work targeting the proceeds of crime

"Cash is an important part of people’s lives even if they don’t use it every day," he says. “One of the reasons is that people have trust and confidence in cash. And it always works when you need it.

“In fact, 15 percent of New Zealanders prefer to use cash to pay for everyday things, and around eight percent rely on cash daily. So, we’ll provide cash for as long as people want to use it.”

When cash detector dogs were first introduced to New Zealand, Detection Dog Trainer Sergeant Michael Robinson says, they were so successful that word started to spread in some countries advising people to be careful about coming here with large quantities of currency.

“Drugs, cash and firearms go hand-in-hand with organised crime,” he says.

“When we take drugs from a drug dealer, they’ll likely get more the next day. Take their cash and that’s what hurts them.

“If we didn’t have that partnership with the Reserve Bank, we wouldn’t be able to do it.

“New Zealand Customs and Police are truly thankful for that relationship and the role they play in delivering that result across the Pacific.”

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