more-in Smuggling may be a rewarding trade, but snitching on smugglers pays even more. Thanks to the uninterrupted flow of illegal bullion through the State’s airports, the informants to the Customs Department are now finding it difficult to turn away from the business of grassing. Besides the snitches, the Customs officials who carry out the seizures are also pocketing a good amount of extra perks. Additional fund Official estimates show that the department disbursed about ?14.5 lakh to informants last year, while in the current year, it has already exhausted a fund of ?9.95 lakh. With several such informers waiting in line to collect their rewards, the Customs Preventive Commissionerate in Kerala has now sought an additional fund of over ?25 lakh under the head. According to officials, gold offers the best remuneration for informants among the various goods listed for rewards by the Customs Department. While an informant receives up to ?1.5 lakh per kg of gold seized, a person who smuggles in the same quantity of the contraband from abroad hardly gets about ?50,000. Besides gold, information leading to the seizure of drugs under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, also wins a handsome reward, which is equal to a certain percentage of the current illicit price of the narcotics. While 10% of the interim reward of the total value of the tax evasion would be given to informers soon after the crime is noticed, the final reward will be given after conclusion of the proceedings in the case. The reward amount varies up to 20% to 30% of the total cost as each item has a different duty structure. Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said the whistle-blowers did not have to wait for long to get the reward as the process had been made hassle-free, while ensuring the confidentiality of the informant. “We require only a thumb impression of the informant to ensure that the reward reaches the right person. We do not require their personal information and the tip-off received will also be kept strictly confidential,” he said. Any person who wants to tip off the Customs on smuggling may contact them at 09895030603 or 0484-2870400.

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