Another US law enforcement agency has been learning the cost of relying on dishonest confidential informants. Wink News has reported that a confidential informant working for DeSoto County Sheriff’s drug task force, has admintted to lying and fabricating evidence to help incriminate alleged drug dealers. The State Attorney has dismissed over 20 cases that the informant was involved in.

Confidential informants are a hugely valuable intelligence resource for law enforcement, but they have to be treated very carefully and the evidence or intelligence gained from them must be rigorously assessed for reliability.