Colombian Cartel Puts $70,000 Hit On A Sniffer Dog

Policía Antinarcóticos/Twitter

Sombra thought she was being a very good girl indeed when she sniffed out around 10 tonnes of cocaine.

However, her excellent detective work means the six-year-old police dog now has a 200m-peso (£53,000/$70,000) on her soft, strokeable head.

See, the cocaine in question was produced by the Urabeños, the most infamous cartel in Colombia. Not exactly the sort of individuals an upstanding German Shepherd wants to make enemies of.

After her discovery, Sombra (‘shadow’ in Spanish) appeared in a video clip on Colombian newspaper El Tiempo‘s website.

Readers praised her cleverness, but this publicity also sparked threats from the infuriated drugs trafficking organisation.

Their anger was further exacerbated after police officers began boasting over social media about Sombra’s crucial contribution over the last few years.

Committed Sombra has worked alongside the counter-narcotics police force since her puppyhood, with her drug sniffing abilities resulting in the arrest of 245 suspects.

One proud tweet took a swipe at the leader of the Urabeños, Dairo Antonio Úsaga, who is also known as Otoniel:

Our ‘Sombra’ was the best during the training in detection of illicit drugs, in the last three years it became the torment of ‘Otoniel’ seizing 9 tons of cocaine.

‘Otoniel’ is known to be one of the most wanted men in Colombia. However, according to InSight Crime, his grasp on power is slipping and it’s only a matter of time until he is behind bars.

Enraged by the power of Sombra’s nose, the Urabeños offered a bounty for anyone willing to send Sombra to the great kennel in the sky.

Although it’s difficult to believe anyone would be willing to hurt such a beautiful, loyal dog, Sombra’s safety has now been severely compromised.

According to the BBC, Sombra has been redeployed to to Bogotá airport to keep her safe, in an area which is apparently beyond the reach of the Urabeños.

Sombra had previously been deployed in Turbo in Colombia’s Urabá region; an area known to be a strategic trafficking point with easy sea access.

As well as her usual handler, additional officers are taking care of Sombra in her new location, further ensuring her protection. It’s clear every effort will be made not to compromise the life of this courageous canine.

According to The Telegraph, a police spokesperson said:

The fact they want to hurt Sombra and offer such a high reward for her capture or death shows the impact she’s had on their profits.

Dog lovers from all around the world have rallied to Sombra’s furry side, marvelling over her incredible career and worrying over her safety.

One person tweeted:

Colombian cartels have put a $70,000 bounty on a very successful German Shepherd police dog.

In other news, dog lovers around the world singlehandedly stopped the global drug trade.

Another begged:

Please take care that great dog!!

Seriously, this dog is braver and more badass than most humans I’ve met.

Keep up the good work Sombra and stay safe. The human world just loves you too much to lose you.

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Julia Banim

Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.