BOULDER — Fentanyl has been a significant issue in Montana in recent years, but a fluffy K-9 trooper is helping to combat the problem using his keen sense of smell.
“He has greatly simplified our work. He is a valuable tool for detecting narcotics. In his six years of service, he has likely confiscated over a thousand pounds of narcotics,” says Montana Highway Patrol Sergeant and K-9 handler James Beck.
Sgt. Beck has been partnered with a German Shepherd named Apollo for the past six years. Apollo is one of three K-9s trained to detect fentanyl.
However, he is the only police dog in the state certified to detect fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Beck and Apollo are based in Butte.
“He is an invaluable asset. Since becoming certified in April, he has made several significant seizures. Just last week, we seized over 30,000 pills,” says Beck.
Beck mentions that the initial cost of establishing a K-9 unit is between $15,000 and $20,000, covering all necessary equipment but excluding the cost of a K-9 cruiser. He believes the expense is worthwhile because dogs like Apollo can accomplish tasks that humans cannot.
“Dogs have noses about 40 times stronger than humans. Everything emits an odor. What we may not be able to smell, they can easily detect. Fentanyl has a distinct odor profile, which is what we train these dogs to recognize,” Beck explains.
According to the Montana Department of Justice, a special drug task force seized over 160,000 dosage units of fentanyl in Montana through March 2024.
From January to June 2024, Montana state troopers confiscated 31,000 fentanyl pills, $89,000 in cash, around 87 pounds of meth, and nine firearms.
As of this year, the state crime lab has recorded 22 overdose deaths involving fentanyl. However, the actual statewide total is likely higher as the crime lab only confirms deaths following an autopsy.
“When I began nine years ago, we saw a lot of methamphetamine and heroin. Heroin started to decline when fentanyl emerged about three to four years ago,” Beck recalls.
Sgt. Beck notes that fentanyl is the predominant drug in Montana and wherever fentanyl is found, meth is typically also present. He mentions that fentanyl is being mixed into new forms beyond the blue M-30 pills and has been discovered in medications like ibuprofen and Advil.
“With street drugs, you never know what you are consuming. It could turn out to be something completely different and lead to a fatal overdose. I urge people not to accept any substances from anyone other than a doctor,” Beck advises.
