A beagle named Merla has discovered more than 100 pork sandwiches in the luggage of a traveller from Thailand attempting to bring them illegally into the United States.
According to Bild, the dog made the find at an airport in Washington, D.C..
The beagle, part of the specialised “Beagle Brigade,” detected the illicit food items among the passenger’s belongings on the baggage carousel. Merla alerted officers by calmly sitting next to the suspicious suitcase — as per protocol, the dogs are trained not to bark or scratch bags to avoid alarming travellers.
“With remarkable composure and professional precision, she uncovered an entire arsenal of sandwiches in the traveller’s luggage,” the report said.
Merla is part of a unit operated by the United States Department of Agriculture, established in the 1980s to work in major international airports. These dogs are trained to detect prohibited food items, including meat, fruits, vegetables and plants.
Such controls are essential to prevent the introduction of dangerous pests and animal diseases, such as African swine fever. According to the agency, an outbreak could cause billions of dollars in damage to the agricultural sector.
