From July 20 to 24, an international training event for customs dog handlers, the "CLEP Seminar on the Training and Use of Detector Dogs in Searching for Tobacco Products," took place at the Dog Handling Centre of the State Revenue Service (SRS) Customs Board in Rēzekne. The training brought together participants from Hungary, Moldova, Estonia, Slovakia, and Latvia.
Throughout the week, participants enhanced their knowledge of service dog training methodologies and the specifics of tobacco products, observed practical demonstrations, and took part in exercises simulating real service environments. Detection search exercises were conducted at the Dog Handling Centre as well as across additional infrastructure—customs control points in Rēzekne and Pāternieki, and industrial premises in Kaunata Parish. Constructive discussions and sharing of best practices also took place.
A dog's remarkable sense of smell, teamwork with the handler, and the ability to promptly identify concealed substances remain one of the most effective customs control methods and play an indispensable role today. The organizers emphasize that a successful dog handler's work is rooted in a respectful relationship with the service dog, as performance directly depends on the dog's well-being.
Foreign participants highly praised the quality of the training delivered by Latvian customs dog handlers and expressed a wish and invitation to organize similar training sessions within their own services.
Valdis Bikovskis, Senior Customs Expert of the Dog Handling Division of the SRS Customs Board and one of the lecturers, noted: "We didn't just give, we also received—there are different people and different dogs, and one must know how to diplomatically present their perspective on dog training and utilization, expanding their own instructor skills and experience."
International exchange of experience strengthens professional competencies, improves service dog preparation methods, and fosters more effective detection and prevention of illicit tobacco trafficking. The training was organized within the framework of the European Commission's Common Learning Event Programme (CLEP) and financed by the European Commission's Customs Programme.
