Jackson the police dog can sniff out stolen copper in seconds and his human partner couldn't be more proud

He sits, haunches quivering in anticipation, eyes fixed on his handler. He waits and waits . . . then finally the order comes. 

“Soek! [Find]”, comes the command – and he’s off, nose to the ground, searching for what he knows he must find: copper. Less than five minutes later he’s located a pipe hidden among the tall grass at the far end of the training field. Tail wagging, he returns it to his handler and is rewarded with a chew on his favourite rubber toy. 

Meet Jackson, the City of Cape Town’s latest weapon in its fight against copper theft. Thanks to his highly trained nose, Jackson is helping police combat one of the biggest scourges in the Western Cape.