Five-year-old Vast and three-year-old Denby, the two Belgian Malinois K9 āsoldiersā of the CRPF, along with their handlers, are assigned to be part of the 10 K9 security squad at the Paris Olympics beginning next week.
The security squad, comprising 10 dogs selected from different central armed police forces, including the CRPF, will be in Paris for a month until the Olympics conclude.
They are assigned to carry out sniffing and patrolling duties under the supervision of the French authorities for all Olympic venues and events.
Upon the request of the French government, the K9 teams have been deployed for Olympic duty.
This marks the first international deployment of an Indian K9 unit for purposes other than disaster relief.
The selection process for the security unit comprised stringent training and special conditioning.
Vast and Denby underwent such training for their foreign assignment, and their trainers also passed similar circumstances, including basic familiarization with the French language.
The Indian ambassador to France and Monaco, Jawed Ashraf, greeted the K9 squad upon arrival.
Belgian Shepherd Malinois dogs, known for their remarkable agility, strength, and stamina, are highly prized as police dogs due to their exceptional dexterity and intelligence.
Malinois dogs have played a significant role in major operations, such as detecting the hideout of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, before he was killed by the US Navy