If you've ever been to an airport, you've likely seen police sniffer dogs working their way through the queues to see if anybody is hiding any contraband - namely illegal drugs. It's a thankless job, but some dog's gotta do it.
Spare a thought, then, for Sombra, a German Shepherd drug squad sniffer dog who's based between Colombia's two busiest international airports - El Dorado in Bogota, the country's capital city, and Jose Maria Cordova, near the town of Medellin - who's wanted dead by some of Colombia's deadliest villains.
That's because Sombra - which translates as Shadow - is directly responsible for the arrest of 245 suspects. As a result, a £52,000 bounty has reportedly been placed on her head for a successful assassination.
Which seems a little unfair, because it's not like the six-year-old dog actively chose that as a career - she'd probably be just as happy frolicking in a field and gnawing on a bone somewhere.
But try telling that to the members of El Clan del Golfo (The Gulf's Clan), the criminal organisation who have put the hit out on Sombra.
It's not just because she's been involved in a number of airport operations that saw those 245 people arrested for drugs crimes and their links to the clan, but also because she discovered a hideout in Antioquia that contained five tonnes of cocaine.
Needless to say, that's worth a few million dollars so the clan are a bit pissed that Shadow put a huge dent in their finances when she found the secret stash.
And when we say 'huge' we mean 'huge' - the US coast guard seized 16 tons of cocaine on a raid last year which had a wholesale value of approximately $420 million and a street value of $1 billion. So five tonnes is worth a nice little amount.
Since becoming aware of the plans to assassinate Sombra, authorities have been taking measures to guard her, and an investigation has been launched into the alleged plot to end her life.
"Sombra is a huge headache for drug traffickers like 'Otoniel' [clan leader Dario Antonio Usuga David]," a police spokesperson told local media.
Advert
She's obviously also a huge asset to the police, so they're hopefully going to do whatever it takes to make sure she stays alive. In the meantime, Sombra is continuing to help bust drug traffickers at the airports.
Featured Image Credit: CENTopics: Colombia, crime, Drugs