DB Schenker said it is using free-running explosive detection dogs on a daily basis in the UK to detect prohibited items from certain airfreight shipments.

The dogs trained to screen cargo are from a variety of breeds and chosen specifically for their sense of smell and including Spaniels, Labradors, German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers.

It noted that the highly trained dogs receive between six and twelve months of intensive instruction before they become part of the team and are particularly chosen for their ability to detect explosives.

A new cohort is currently also in training to be able to sniff out lithium batteries.

DB Schenker said they are operating at Heathrow and Manchester and will soon also feature in Glasgow.

"The speed and accuracy of the screening they undertake have become an essential part of our operation, and they give us a reliable method of detecting certain items which would otherwise prove difficult using other approaches," said Ian Dallow, aviation security manager at DB Schenker UK.

DB Schenker noted that not only are the dogs used to search regular airfreight shipments, but their keen sense of smell makes them ideal for outsize shipments which have been tendered as airfreight but are too large to pass through an X-Ray machine.

"The dogs can discover anything untoward in such a shipment much faster than a manual search by humans, and this ability to expedite the screening process ensures swift and efficient movement of customer goods," the integrated logistics services provider said.

Additional screening method

DB Schenker said its personnel at its multimodal locations around the UK are involved in preparing freight for screening and ensuring the screening activities are carried out in accordance with strict regulations, so the use of dogs provides a highly effective additional screening method.

"The purpose of using the dogs is to look for things that aren't supposed to be there. They are looking for prohibited items, for example, a part of an explosive device," DB Schenker said, adding that there are different rules for cargo and passenger aircraft so it is important to be fully conversant with all rules which apply to each aircraft type.

For example, it explained that a knife in a cargo shipment may not be dangerous but may be prohibited in baggage.

"We're looking to prevent any prohibited articles getting onto an aircraft and to prevent unlawful interference with civil aviation," Dallow said.