Sniffer dog Eric helps Indian railway police seize 20.5 kg of ganja at Madurai Junction

Published - July 17, 2026 11:12 pm IST | Madurai By S Sundar

Sniffer Dog Helps RPF Nab Ganja Peddler at Madurai Junction

Eric, a sniffer dog with the Railway Protection Force (RPF), played a key role in apprehending a ganja peddler at Madurai Railway Junction on Wednesday night.

A joint team of RPF and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel was conducting a massive combing operation on Platform No. 5 when the Chandigarh-Madurai Express arrived at the station.

The security team focused on the general second class coach at the front of the train, scanning for anti-social elements among the passengers who had alighted.

Suspicious Movement Detected

The personnel noticed a man moving suspiciously while pulling a trolley and carrying a shoulder bag. As they moved to question him, Eric, the RPF sniffer dog, gave clear signals after sniffing the man's belongings.

The individual, a resident of Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, was immediately detained.

Drugs Seized

Upon searching his belongings, RPF personnel recovered 10 polythene bundles wrapped with adhesive tape. A closer inspection revealed the bundles contained dry ganja weighing approximately 20.500 kg.

The accused was handed over to GRP personnel for further legal proceedings.

Role of the Sniffer Dog

“The role of the sniffer dog, a Belgian Malinois, played a vital role in catching the accused,” said an RPF officer.

Eric, a two-year-old male, had been trained specifically to detect narcotic substances. According to the officer, the dog signals the presence of drugs by barking continuously, pulling at the suspect's belongings, or sitting near the contraband without moving.

Challenges in Routine Checks

Officers noted that it is impractical to ask every suspicious passenger to open their bags during checks.

“While it is a laborious task to open baggage of every suspicious person as all of them will be on the move. Besides, asking every one of those suspicious persons to open the baggage would invite their wrath,” said another official.

In this context, trained sniffer dogs provide crucial assistance.

“Eric’s smart work made light of our job in pinpointing the criminal element among hundreds of passengers,” the officer added.

Additional Capabilities

The RPF also has two more sniffer dogs — Austin and Vetri, both Labrador retrievers — trained to detect explosive objects. They are frequently deployed to sniff through hundreds of luggage items and parcels.