There are various reasons for a person to act like an informant. Firstly, an individual resort to acting as an informant when striking a deal. Such kinds of informants are majorly found in the world of organized crimes. For example, when criminal workings are connected with a drug syndicate, a criminal can close a deal with the police to assist in arresting of his colleagues. In fact, informants can engage in criminal activities and blend in with the criminal environment without creating any suspicion. As a consequence, informants betray their colleagues aiming to get more lenient sentences while providing police officers with confidential information over a long period. In most cases, these informants are accomplices. They are usually co-defendant in criminal cases, and they agree to testify for the prosecution or get involved in the last undercover operation in exchange for immunity and witness protection program. The value of informants in a court of law is similar to their value as members of the society. In other words the deeper the informant is involved in a crime, the more valuable they are and the more valuable is their testimony. Therefore, it is difficult for law enforcement authorities to conduct deep undercover investigations without the help of informants. The informants’ knowledge resulting from the direct relationship with the criminal activities evaluates their credibility https://manyessays.com.
Secondly, an individual can choose to be an informant for financial gains. Apparently, informants can be paid substantial amounts of money through the forfeiture laws which authorize the allocation of up to 25 percent of the seized assets to informants. Although it is illegal to reward informants with seized drugs, the police admit that in practice they directly supply their informants with drugs or small sums of money. The reason for this is that informants often skim off controlled buys, or because the police know that the cash will be used to buy drugs. Informants are assigned an individual member of the investigation team as their handler. In ideal cases, an investigator who induced a person to be the informant is assigned to them, and the contacts with the informants should be established only through their handlers. In order to avoid constant demands for informants, they are often paid to assist with various cases.
Lastly, there are individuals who assent to be voluntary informants. Such individuals are usually witnesses to a crime or a jealous spouse having specific information about a vice. In some cases, voluntary informants choose to remain anonymous, especially when they have information about a specific area where criminal activity would take place or planned crimes. Voluntary informants provide basic information and are motivated by gratitude or repentance for the committed crime. They are usually a friend or close acquaintance of a criminal and are ready to reveal the geographical location of a person or properties.
Under the provisions of section 101 of the Act, alien witnesses to criminal matters are classified as S-5 alien witnesses. The Act states that it is true for actions of discretion pursuant to the application of the states federal LAE information required for prosecution. Also, they are needed in the events while possessing credential information concerning criminal organizations. Furthermore, under the provisions of the same Act, alien voluntary witnesses to the counter-terrorist operations are classified as S-6 aliens. The secretary of the state and the commissioner through joint actions determines the Act to exercise these rights. Witnesses possess information on criminal terrorist enterprises, and they are willing to supply facts for federal persecution. However, the witness has to be eligible to receive the rewards under the provisions of section 36 of the Act.
