Information regarding the spending of police forces on informants has been revealed by seven UK police forces but they have refused to disclose any details about the number of individuals who work as informants and the conviction status of registered informants. The Epoch Times submitted a Freedom of Information request to 10 police forces and the National Crime Agency. The police forces cited security risks to individuals who are operating as covert human intelligence sources (CHISs) as the reason for non-disclosure of the requested information. Police Scotland further stated that releasing such details could compromise CHIS operations, thereby increasing risks for members of organised crime. Informants are regarded as the lowest in the criminal underworld and hence revealing their identity can potentially endanger their lives. Metropolitan Police paid the highest amount to CHISs, amounting to £4.88m in the past five years. The police handling of informants has been a controversial subject.