As artificial intelligence and high-tech scanners become standard tools at border crossings, customs services across Europe and beyond are still leaning on a much older method of detection: the trained dog. At the World Customs Organisation's 7th Global Canine Forum in Tashkent, officials, dog handlers, and specialists from more than 50 countries argued that technology has not made canine units obsolete.
AI can sift through vast amounts of data, flag suspicious shipping containers, and analyse X-ray images for hidden goods. But Antonio Lo Parco, head of the WCO's Regional Office for Capacity Building for Europe, told Euronews that dogs possess detection abilities “that AI cannot substitute.” He added that information gathered by dogs can actually feed into AI systems, helping customs authorities spot patterns and emerging trends.
Oliver Stolper, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime's regional representative for Central Asia, echoed that view. “But a dog cannot be replaced,” he said. “Customs organisations continue to rely on them and for good reasons, as we can see in everyday work.” The consensus among experts is that technology narrows the search, while a dog provides an additional layer of detection that machines cannot replicate.
Adapting to new drug threats
The role of detection dogs is evolving as illicit markets shift. Jonibek Yusupov, an officer at Uzbekistan's Agency for the Control of Narcotic Drugs and Firearms, noted a significant rise in synthetic drugs since the pandemic. Canine units are now training dogs specifically to recognise the scents of synthetic narcotics. “If we rely solely on artificial intelligence or technology, we can only analyse images,” Yusupov said. “But narcotic substances have a smell.”
This point resonates beyond Central Asia. European customs services, from Rotterdam to Piraeus, face similar challenges as new psychoactive substances emerge. The ability of dogs to detect these compounds, even in small quantities, remains a critical tool in the fight against drug trafficking.
Training the next generation of detection dogs
Uzbekistan's National Canine Centre, established in 1996, has been training dogs and handlers for three decades. It became a WCO Regional Canine Centre in 2008 and now trains teams for customs and other law-enforcement agencies. The dogs are prepared for tasks ranging from detecting narcotics, psychotropic substances, weapons, and explosives to search-and-rescue and tracking operations.
Not every puppy makes the cut. At around four months old, dogs bred at the centre begin working with instructors, who assess their reactions to noise, unfamiliar environments, and heights. “Not every dog can become a service dog,” said chief instructor Captain Ahmadjon Goyibov. The centre primarily works with German and Belgian Shepherds, Russian Spaniels, and Labradors.
Dogs that pass the selection process are gradually introduced to environments they might encounter on the job, such as vehicles and railway carriages. Specialised training begins at about eight months and typically lasts six to seven months, tailored to each dog's temperament. They also learn how to signal a detection—by sitting, lying down, or remaining still.
Goyibov dismissed the misconception that drug-detection dogs are made dependent on narcotics or forced to work. “We never use force against the dogs,” he said. “We train them solely through positive reinforcement. We give them their favourite toy or their favourite food as a reward, but we never use force.” Toys with treats inside are used during exercises, teaching the animal to associate a successful detection with something positive.
For Goyibov, technique alone is not enough. “To become a good canine specialist, first and foremost, you need to love service dogs and animals and be able to show them care and affection,” he said.
A regional hub for canine expertise
The centre also trains foreign canine teams. In recent years, 220 handlers from countries including South Korea, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, and Mongolia have received training or professional development there. More than 200 service dogs have also undergone specialised training, with some later deployed by customs authorities outside Uzbekistan.
Elpida Kasapi of the Greek Customs Service said the forum gave participants the chance to study WCO criteria for canine training centres and consider how to apply them at home. “What we are doing here will be extremely useful for us,” Kasapi told Euronews, “as it will allow us to gain knowledge and information that we can then apply to the Greek context and to our practices in Greece.”
The forum underscored that while AI and scanning technology are valuable, they are not a substitute for the canine nose. As customs authorities across Europe and Central Asia face evolving threats, the partnership between human, dog, and machine is likely to grow stronger. For now, the humble detection dog remains an indispensable part of border security.
