Joga, an experienced customs dog, has been trained to detect undeclared cash for years and plays a crucial role in the Vilnius Territorial Customs Mobile Group.
Joga is a seasoned cash-detection dog who began her training at just four months old. Currently, she works with the Vilnius Territorial Customs Mobile Group, inspecting vehicles at checkpoints, packages at post offices, and luggage at airports. Despite her extensive experience, Joga's skills are continuously refined through regular training sessions and courses organized by the police, contributing to her ability to effectively perform her duties.
The Bank of Lithuania plays a pivotal role in Joga's training by providing her with genuine banknotes that have been taken out of circulation. These notes are essential for maintaining the dog's olfactory performance, as stale bills lose their scent over time, similar to narcotics training methods. With the help of the Bank of Lithuania, these outdated banknotes are used to ensure Joga remains at the top of her game in detecting illicit cash.
Interestingly, the dogs do not distinguish between the denominations of the currency; instead, they react to the composition of the ink used in printing. As such, the scent of a 5-euro bill is virtually indistinguishable from that of a 500-euro bill, as they share the same ink formula. This poses an intriguing aspect of the training process and highlights the sophistication of canine training methods in customs operations.
