The number of police drug-detection dog teams has dropped from 21 in 2019 to 14 by 2025, according to Interior Minister Bernard Quintin in response to a written question from MP Sophie de Wit (N-VA).
In 2023, these teams carried out 2,926 interventions. By 2024, the number of interventions had decreased to just over 2,000. Between January and September 2025, only 1,573 interventions were recorded, with data for the final quarter of 2025 still unavailable.
These operations helped uncover 224 kilograms of drugs and €10.3 million in cash in 2023. In 2024, the figures increased to 291 kilograms of drugs and €8.1 million. During the first nine months of 2025, discoveries totalled 309 kilograms of drugs and €6.5 million.
Minister Quintin noted that calculating the exact cost of deploying these police dogs is difficult as they operate across various federal police units. The dogs are also used in operations involving migrants and for detecting weapons and explosives.
The annual cost of a police dog and handler is estimated at €117,750 per team, bringing the total expense to approximately €9.4 million.
Quintin confirmed that there are currently no plans to expand the number of drug-detection dog teams.
