Reward for customs informer upheld where detailed information directly led to the seizure and refusal was found unjustified.

Detailed and accurate information furnished to customs authorities on 9 April 1991 was found to have a direct nexus with the later seizure of 99 silver bars from the vessel AL-KARA. Although reward under the guidelines is not claimable as of right, the exercise of discretion remains subject to judicial review where it is arbitrary or contrary to law. On the admitted and documentary material, no prior material disproved the informer's account, and the departmental correspondence itself linked the seizure to that information. The refusal to grant reward was therefore unjustified, and the informer was entitled to reward on the basis of the information supplied.

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Issues: Whether the informer was entitled to reward for the information furnished to customs authorities and whether the refusal to pay reward was arbitrary.

Analysis: The information recorded on 9 April 1991 was detailed and accurate and matched the later seizure of 99 silver bars from the vessel AL-KARA in the manner earlier indicated. The record showed no prior material disproving the petitioner's information, while the departmental correspondence itself indicated that the seizure was attributable to that information. Under the reward guidelines, reward is not claimable as of right, but the decision remains open to judicial scrutiny where discretion is exercised arbitrarily or contrary to law. On the admitted and documentary material, the seizure had a direct nexus with the petitioner's information and no ground was shown to disturb the single judge's finding.

Conclusion: The refusal to grant reward was not justified, and the petitioner was entitled to reward on the basis of the information supplied.

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