K9, India’s elite dog squad whose members are drawn from multiple security forces, has reached France to provide anti-sabotage security cover to venues of the Paris Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.

A security official attached to the Union home ministry said this was the first time the squad would be deployed at an international event.

“The dog squad, along with their handlers, has been sent following a request from the French government. The French embassy in India had approached our government seeking the deployment of our K9 squad to enhance security measures at various venues of the showpiece event,” the official said.

The Indian K9 contingent for the Olympics has 10 dogs of different breeds — six Belgian Malinois, three German Shepherds and one Labrador Retriever. Besides two K9s from the CRPF, the other eight are from the Assam Rifles, Sashastra Seema Bal, the National Security Guard and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

A CRPF official said the Belgian Malinois was considered the best in the world for sniffing out improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and to find hiding humans. They are also tough and suited for extreme conditions.

The Malinois is used by the CRPF in anti-Maoist operations in Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

“The squad includes five-year-old CRPF canine Vast and three-year-old Denby. They underwent specialised training for nearly 10 weeks before their departure to France, focusing on the assignments they were likely to be given,” said a CRPF official.

He said the handlers of the two K9s were also put through rigorous physical training, besides basic classes in French.

The NSG has over a dozen Belgian Malinois dogs. “Its sense of smell is 40 times stronger than humans and it can walk 30km without a break. It was a Malinois that had helped a US Navy SEALs team track down Osama bin Laden in his Pakistani hideout in May 2011,” said an NSG official.

The Malinois, a breed similar to the German Shepherd but smaller, lighter and more compact, communicates through a nod of its head and not by barking, so it doesn’t alert the target, the official said.

Rocky, a Belgian Malinois that participated in the Pathankot anti-terror operation in January 2016, had received the Sena Medal gallantry award. Displaying “raw courage and dedication to duty, “the canine had entered the burning airmen billet and brought back a pouch that indicated the presence of militants inside. Despite burning his paws, he kept following the directions of the handler”.

According to the NSG official, the 10 K9 squad dogs will undertake sniffing and patrolling duties at various venues during the Paris Olympics.

Sources said the Indian dog squad, along with their handlers, would be deployed as per the requirements of the French police and security agencies. The handlers will don their regular combat uniform with a special patch of the Indian flag on their chest and another flag on the shoulders provided to the security agencies deployed for the mega games event.

France is deploying around 30,000 police officers each day for the Olympics and 45,000 alone for the opening ceremony on the Seine river, according to international media reports. Besides, 18,000 members of the military have been roped in to ensure foolproof security.

India will be represented by 117 athletes at the Olympics apart from 140 support staff and officials.