Spotlight on K9 Balu – AST

K9 Balu-Mocha, a member of the Anchorage Airport Interdiction Team, works hard to stop drug trafficking. Photo courtesy of AST

K9 Balu-Mocha is a 3 year old Belgian Malinois and began his career with AST in May of 2017. K9 Balu has primarily been assigned to SDEU (Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit), working with a DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) Task Force Officer before being assigned to the Anchorage Airport Interdiction team under the newly formed HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas). To date K9 Balu has been responsible for the seizure of: 19.9 kilos of cocaine, 14.6 kilos of heroin, 20.8 kilos of methamphetamine, 9.9 kilos of other drugs, $385,000 cash, $1,327,000 in forfeited assets, and 30 firearms. When K9 Balu isn’t working, he likes to spend time playing with his two Boston Terrier brothers and playing fetch.