Customs official says he won't be cowed down by threats

Commissioner of Customs in Kerala Sumit Kumar today said he has been receiving death threats from smugglers, but asserted he would not be cowed down by such acts.

In a Facebook post, Kumar, who has intensified the crack down on smuggling through airports and sea routes in the state since taking charge here in November last, said he was, however, immune to threats.

"I deal with smugglers on a daily basis... I get direct, indirect threats, pressure to get into passive mode," he wrote on his Facebook page.

"I am not a careerist or office-seeker...my parents, family have given me far more than I need, I am largely immune to threats," he added.

The customs sleuths in the state have made huge seizures of gold, currencies and contrabands after Kumar took over as Commissioner of Customs in the state. When contacted, Kumar said he had written the post on a closed Facebook group and that it was meant for his honest colleagues who resist such tactics from the forces operating in an illegal manner.

However, the customs official did not divulge the source of threats he had allegedly received.

"I want to tell the enemies of the nation that I come from a family of freedom-fighters and acclaimed public servants who gave their all for the nation and the constitution that all public servants are sworn to uphold," he said.

The officer said like submariners in ocean, he dives deep, dive silent and go for the kill.

"You can get me transferred, kicked out.. even take my life, but you cannot buy my silence, and/or push me into passive inaction. 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," said Kumar.

The official noted that he had received threats particularly after the arrest of a chief executive officer of a chain of duty free shops at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport for evading customs duty of Rs 6 crore, and the seizure of Rs 10.86 crore worth of foreign currencies from a Dubai-bound Afghan national.