Argo and the Marijuana Cache

In December 1979, near Yarmouth, NS, Cpl. Dove and Argo were involved in what to the Police Dog Service is fast becoming a routine example of assistance to drug investigators. After helping in the surveillance of a drug trafficker and subsequent to his arrest for selling six pounds (2.721 kilograms) of marijuana, the team accompanied investigators in following the arrested person's car tracks down a dirt road for three kilometres to a point where they turned down a little-used side road and continued for a short distance to the camp.

It was now approximately 7:30 p.m., very dark, a light snowfall had begun and the temperature was holding at - 6 centigrade. Upon approaching the camp, a large green plastic bag containing marijuana residue was found by the side of the road. Argo and Cpl. Dove began searching at this point. Almost immediately, Argo headed into the surrounding dense bush. After travelling about fifty yards he indicated a pile of branches under which nine pounds (4.082 kilograms) of marijuana was hidden. He continued to search the area and nearby, under a large rock, he located a number of empty, small, clear plastic bags of the exact same type used to contain the marijuana previously purchased from the trafficker.

Had Argo and Cpl. Dove not been present, would a search of the bush have been conducted by the investigators once they had located the empty bag which had previously held marijuana? If so, considering the snowfall, would they have found the cache? Almost certainly, additional personnel would have been required. And, if further search had been put off until daylight, after even more snow had fallen, would they have located the incriminating small clear plastic bags? The assistance of Police Dog Services on drug investigations eliminates such elements of doubt by providing that extra bit of help necessary to conduct a thorough search and ensure a successful conclusion to the case.