The police team that raided a house at Kumaranalloor here on Sunday midnight following a tip-off on a drug racket was in for a rude shock. The ‘gangster’ group there sported lolling tongues, vampire fangs, sharpened claws, and pounced on anything khaki with much relish.
The police said there were 13 violent dogs — the star being an American pit bull — on the premises. These dogs, they said, were specially trained to attack khaki-clad police personnel, so as to prevent raids. When the team led by the anti-narcotics cell and the Gandhinagar police raided the house, the gang leader, identified as Robin George, fled after letting loose the dogs.
None injured
The police, however, proceeded with the raid and seized 17.3 kg of ganja from the house. “Our team had a tough time tackling these violent dogs. Fortunately, none of the officers were injured. A search is on to trace the accused,” said K. Karthik, District Police Chief, Kottayam.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the accused had been running a drug racket in the guise of a dog training centre and day-care unit. He used to charge ₹1,000 a day for taking care of a dog.
Question on khaki
According to Mr. Karthik, the accused had received professional training in dog handling for a brief period from a retired Border Security Force officer. “The trainer, however, expelled him after he started posing queries on how to make dogs attack people in khaki uniforms,” he said.
The accused, however, went on to launch his own dog training centre, Delta K9, by renting a house at Kumaranalloor. The centre, according to the police, was frequented by unidentified persons even during late nights.
A special team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police has been constituted for the follow-up investigation. Searches are also on to identify the owners of these dogs and those associated with the accused.
