Drug detections made on ‘almost daily basis’ in Orkney

Drug detections are being made on “a regular daily basis” by the Orkney Drugs Dog, according to a Police Scotland inspector.

Inspector David Hall of Police Scotland said: “There has been a significant rise in the number of drug interceptions from the drugs dog.”

A report, presented to a meeting of the Police and Fire sub-committee on Thursday, February 25, showed that 142 detections were made by the dog during 2020/21.

Inspector Hall said this was a very positive figure.

He said: “I think what we’ve seen with COVID is people having to rely on the mail to get things in. There isn’t the free-flow of traffic that we’ve seen coming off and on Orkney over the years.

“It’s pretty much on a regular daily basis that the dog handler is taking parcels out of the Royal Mail system.”

Full story in Thursday’s The Orcadian, available now online and in shops.