A five-day international training session of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) started at the Police Academy's dog training centre, in which 30 trainees and trainers from 15 European countries are participating, the Police Directorate said.

The police said that the goal of the training session was to develop specific skills of Frontex’s certified instructors and dog handlers in the area of substance detection.

The training and certification system is based on the experiences of Schengen countries in order to ensure the standards of dog handling training are harmonised throughout the Schengen area.

The police directorate added that the training consists of six modules, including an online exam as the first module and four modules of practical work with dogs, and at the end of the training session, dog handlers and trainers take a certification exam.

In May this year, the dog training centre procured the Detection Dog Training System (DDTS) electronic system for the purposes of training substance detection dogs.

The equipment is worth €26,500, fully purchased with Frontex funds, and the police said it would greatly contribute to quality training.