A K9 in Las Vegas sniffed out more than $10 million worth of cocaine among a truckload of tomatoes, police said, with online commenters heaping praise on the crime-fighting canine.
Detectives initially stopped the truck for erratic driving near I-15 and St. Rose Pkwy around 2:30 a.m. on Friday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a post on Facebook.
"The nervous driver had a story that didn't add up," the police department said. Officers then called in a K9, Nuggetz, who alerted them to the presence of drugs.
"LVMPD K9 Nuggetz indicated a positive alert for drugs which led to a search," the department said.
"Among the load of tomatoes, we found 230 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $10.5 million dollars."
Two men, Nanak Singh and Chandra Prakash, were arrested and booked on charges of trafficking a controlled substance.
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The department's Facebook post included a picture of Nuggetz wearing sunglasses. Commenters piled on the praise and urged officers to reward Nuggetz with a special treat.
"I love this! Hooray for LVMPD and K9 Nuggetz! Well done! Nuggetz looks so awesome in his sunglasses...one cool dude!" one commenter wrote.
Another added: "Great job officer Nuggetz! I hope you get extra doggie treats for a job well done!"
Another wrote: "Was Nuggetz treated to a gourmet dinner and spa day?!"
And another person wrote: "Someone buy k9 officer Nuggetz a steak dinner. Great 'collar' officer Nuggetz."
The bust comes after another K9 sniffed out $3 million worth of fentanyl during a traffic stop in California earlier this year. That incident, in January, began with a driver being pulled over for speeding.
Things just didn't add up as the driver and passenger answered questions, prompting officers to get K9 Beny to sniff the vehicle's exterior. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 75 pounds of counterfeit Oxycodone pills believed to contain fentanyl, authorities said.
Dogs have 225 million scent receptors in their noses and can be taught to detect various drugs, explosives and accelerants, according to the American Kennel Club.
A few specific breeds are commonly trained as police dogs, including Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds.
"The dogs are able to perform their tasks anywhere and are most commonly seen searching airports and border entries for explosives and illegal drugs, large events for explosives, and even civilian vehicles that have been pulled over," the AKC's website states.
"Military dogs are also trained to detect landmines, in order to protect their handlers and personnel from danger."
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