Police drug detection dogs sniffed out a live cane toad during baggage screening at Groote Eylandt Airport.

The Dog Operations Unit was screening passengers arriving on the island when Lena and Rafa responded to luggage.

Police checked bags and found the toad hiding inside a work boot.

Anindilyakwa Land and Sea Rangers then took carriage of the incident.

It was the first live cane toad detected on Groote in more than three years.

Senior Sergeant Tanya Woodcock says: “This was not a deliberate attempt to smuggle in a cane toad. Groote Eylandt Police are always on the lookout for feral stowaways while they’re screening flights for illicit substances.”

He says police will continue working with the Anindilyakwa Land and Sea Rangers to keep the archipelago free of the invasive pests.