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      | Patna, Feb 20 : Authorities in Bihar have destroyed poppy   crops allegedly grown by Maoists. Opium is made from the poppy. "A joint team of police and excise department officials   destroyed poppy crops grown by Maoists in Gaya district Tuesday," a police   official told IANS.  
 |  |      However, any Maoists or their agents involved in   poppy cultivation could not be arrested, the official said.
 "We have   destroyed the crops grown on 24 acres of land under Imamganj police station   area," Omprakash Singh, a senior excise department official said Imamganj and   its adjoining areas in Gaya are considered the strongholds of outlawed Communist   Party of Indian-Maoist.
 
 Singh said the leftist guerrillas cultivate poppy   to fund their illegal activities. He said police had received a tip-off about   opium crops grown by the insurgents.
 
 According to the police Maoists are   also engaged in opium cultivation in forest areas bordering Jharkhand besides in   Gaya and Hazaribagh districts of Jharkhand.
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