A Colombian sniffer canine who died within the line of obligation after ingesting poison blended with a cargo of cocaine has been honoured by police.

Five-year-old Belgian Shepherd Kenia was on an operation with narcotics brokers from the Colombian National Police together with handler Alejandro Gutierrez at a port within the Caribbean Sea metropolis of Santa Marta on June 13.

Searching via the cargo, she noticed the medication - however then returned to the police base, which was positioned contained in the port, falling unwell and dying shortly afterwards.

A second educated canine who additionally took half within the raid fell unwell after coming into contact with the toxins, however survived.

Investigators are nonetheless analysing the seized substances so as to set up which one brought about Kenia's demise.

Kenia was born on June 5, 2018 on the police academy canine breeding grounds within the Colombian province of Cundinamarca.

Graduating from the Ok-9 academy, she was then educated to detect medication earlier than being assigned to National Police narcotics company on the port a number of days earlier than her first birthday.

So far she has helped authorities seize in extra of 12 tons of cocaine since being put into service.

A National Police spokesman mentioned: “With honours, we said goodbye to 'Kenia' in the Port of Santa Marta, a little dog who gave up her life fighting against drug trafficking during the inspection of a merchandise that was contaminated with cocaine and other highly toxic substances that would have caused her death.”

The ceremony, staged on Wednesday, got here on the identical day the Colombian navy introduced it had stopped trying to find Wilson, a two-year-old Belgian Shepherd who on fled from a particular forces unit as she helped seek for 4 youngsters who survived a airplane crash which killed three adults, together with their 34-year-old mom.

Wilson’s pawprints have been very important in main troopers to the invention of Lesly Jacombaire Mucutuy, 13, Soleiny Jacombaire Mucutuy, 9, Tien Noriel Ronoque Mucutuy, 4, and one-year-old Cristin Neriman Ranoque Mucutuy, who had spent 40 days within the Amazon jungle.

Authorities have additionally been on alert since over fears that drug traffickers had issued a demise risk towards nine-year-old Labrador Retriever Killer,, who has helped seize greater than 1.5 million doses of marijuana throughout her seven years of service.

Since then, Killer has been below safety 24 hours a day and is saved inside a cage, watched by an armed soldier.