Teo, the police dog who found the missing person (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SUWON, Feb. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — A specialized scent-tracking police dog has been making headlines with its exceptional performance in locating missing persons, potential suicide victims, and criminal suspects in South Korea.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency’s forensic science division reported on February 11 that their scent-evidence dog Teo, a three-year-old male Belgian Malinois, has achieved remarkable results in his first year of service. Since his deployment, Teo has responded to 56 cases, including four criminal investigations, 44 missing person cases, and 10 other incidents, successfully locating 16 individuals.
Scent-evidence dogs are specially trained to detect human odors and collect evidence necessary for investigations. Teo, who was officially assigned to the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency in May of last year, works alongside his handler, Senior Inspector Jo Hun-oh, a veteran with 10 years of experience. Police officials noted that the strong partnership between Teo and Jo has led to swift discoveries at search sites.
The cases have varied widely, from searching for missing elderly individuals with dementia to tracking murder suspects on the run. In a recent case, police received a report on February 7 about a man in his 70s who had gone missing after leaving his home in Gwangmyeong at around 7:30 a.m. on February 6. After CCTV footage suggested the man had climbed Suamsan, a mountain in Ansan, police mobilized about 100 personnel for the search on February 8.
When the initial search proved unsuccessful, Teo was brought in. On February 9, he located the missing man within 2 hours and 20 minutes of beginning the search at 9 a.m. The elderly man, who had been protecting himself from the cold under fallen leaves, was found alive after spending more than three days in freezing temperatures and was safely reunited with his family.
In another case on February 1, a man in his 50s fled after allegedly killing his wife in an apartment in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. After family members reported the incident to police at 7:35 a.m. the following day, authorities believed the suspect had escaped to nearby mountains. Teo was deployed and located the suspect’s body within just 30 minutes.
Police officials praised Teo’s exceptional capabilities and stamina, noting that while other scent-evidence dogs from the Seoul, Gyeonggi Nambu, and Gangwon agencies were involved in both cases, it was Teo who made the discoveries. They explained that Teo’s specialized training in detecting various human scents, including blood from deceased individuals, has made him particularly effective at locating immobile or deceased persons.
“Teo moves as if he understands my intentions, working as one unit to achieve significant results,” said Jo. “Through continued training, we will fulfill our duty to protect citizens’ lives and property, regardless of the situation we’re deployed to.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
