The Esmeralda County Sheriff's Office recently started a K-9 dog program, according to Sheriff Ken Elgan.

Two shepherds were recently purchased from Kreative Kennels in Turlock, Calif.

Both dogs are training in narcotics detection with the help of the Nye County Sheriff's Office.

According to Elgan, there has been a significant increase in drug and money trafficking on Highway 95; this is due to narcotics interdiction teams working the main interstates throughout the country.

Traffickers are now accessing the secondary highways in the hope they will not be detected. Highway 95 is a major artery for travel north to south.

Recently the Nye County Sheriff's Office, with the use of a narcotics K-9, seized more than $750,000 in the Beatty area.

They have seized over $650,00 in the Tonopah area from motorists passing through.

The kicker in all this is that money goes directly to the sheriff's office for use in narcotics enforcement. This means the sheriff can use the money to buy equipment such as vehicles, radars, ballistic vests for officers or any other equipment related to drug enforcement, saving the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Nevada law also gives the sheriff the authority to give a portion of the money to the school district at the end of the fiscal year.

The two dogs purchased, Vader and Nurmo, are doing outstanding work in a short period, according to Master Trainer Bill Stark of the Nye County Sheriff's Office.

Elgan said Vader, an all-black Shepherd handled by Dep. Tony Phillips, has already recovered marijuana located in the center console of a vehicle.

Nurmo, who is handled by Sgt. Scott Johnson, is ready to work as well.

Elgan said, "We have high hopes for this program and will be aggressively working to remove narcotics and money derived through sales off our streets."