Sniff This, Bitch!

Drug traffickers in Southeast Asia have discovered a successful new strategy to smuggle drugs across the Thailand-Laos border: confuse the overworked drug-sniffing dogs used at checkpoints by shipping their illegal contraband in overwhelmingly pungent containers.

According to Adul Prayoonsitthi, a regional anti-drugs official in Thailand, drug traffickers have started hiding their drugs under “piles of strong-smelling products such as onions and garlic, or even pla ra” (a disgustingly strong fermented fish paste).

“We have highly trained sniffer dogs at the checkpoint,” said Adul. “But they’re completely drained when they have to smell strong-smelling stuff. The traffickers take the chance when the dogs become weary.”

The confiscation of drug shipments at the Thai border has dropped sharply this year. Officials are attributing this decline to the various “new tricks” drug traffickers have been using, preying on stressed-out canines being just one of their new tactics.