In a New Jersey Post Office several packages were coming from northern California to an unnamed addressee for several months. The post office held one of the packages as suspicious. Police were called and a k9 detector dog indicated the presence of a substance. The package was found to contain 6 large sealed metal cans. The cans were opened. They contained coffee grounds and marijuana.

I was hired by the defendant as an expert in detector dogs to show whether or not the k9 detector dog can smell through the packaging and coffee grounds and through the sealed metal cans.

I explained how the k9 smells and how scent permeates through solid objects. The k9 detector dog did smell the drugs hidden inside despite the sealed cans and coffee grounds. The k9 dog’s training records showed a consistent performance and the search was found to be legal. Probable cause was established and the evidence was allowed, unfortunately for the defendant.