KOCHI: In a significant development following a crackdown against illegal liquor sales by a duty free giant at Thiruvananthapuram airport and major currency seizures by Cochin Customs, Sumit Kumar, the commissioner of customs made a Facebook post-- which is still up-- that he was facing direct or indirect threats to get into passive mode."Friends, I daily deal with smugglers inside and out of my formation and their friends/abettors in and out of uniform. I get direct or indirect threats, pressures, to get into passive mode. However, since Im not a careerist or office seeker and almighty, my parents, family have given me more than I need, I am largely immune to such person and threats. I want to tell those enemies of the nation that I am grandson and son of freedom fighters and acclaimed public servants, who gave all for the nation and the constitution that all public servants are sworn upon to uphold. Like submariners in ocean I dive deep, I dive silent, and I go for the kill. You can get me transferred, kicked out of my charges, even take my life, but you cannot buy my silence, and/or push me into passive inacton. I will hit with all the power and terminate your anti-national activities with extreme prejudice. I have Mataram protecting me as an angel 24/7. Jai Hind," the commissioner wrote.Commenting on the post, he said that it was not an official statement meant for the press. "It was a personal remark made on Facebook. When you're engaged in official duty, such threats would obviously arise," the commissioner told ToI.As part of a probe into alleged customs duty evasion by Plus Max--the agency contracted to run the Duty Free Shop (DFS) at the Thriuvananthapuram international airport--the commissioner had earlier ordered the arrest its Chief Executive Officer.Customs sources had claimed of repeated attempts to remove the investigating officer and the commissioner himself from the post in retaliation to the crackdown. Also, the sleuths recently busted a major foreign currency export racket, arresting an Afghan native at Kochi Airport with nearly Rs 11 crore worth of US dollars and Saudi Riyals.

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