Muzaffarpur, Dec. 5: Armed squads of Maoists have threatened stone chips traders and brick kiln owners doing brisk business to cough up extortion money or get ready to face the heat.

Rebels’ diktat has sent shivers down the spine of stone traders of Narayanpur and brick kiln owners of Kudhani and Maniyari areas of the district. The Maoists had recently raided brick kilns in Kudhani and Maniyari and set a deadline of December 12 for the traders to pay the extortion money. They threatened that the traders would be dealt with sternly and their business establishments would be bulldozed if the money is not paid on time. About 22 brick kilns in Ratnoli under Kudhani and Maniyari police stations are facing Maoist threat.

Rebels have also pasted posters in Ratnoli, warning the brick kiln owners with dire consequences. They also called upon the youths of the area to lend a helping hand in spreading the tentacles of the organisation in rural belts.

The stone chip traders of Narayanpur have also received extortion letters and calls recently on cell phones. The letter reads that the levy money should be paid without any hiccup. Personnel of State Auxiliary Police have been deputed in large numbers in Kudhani and Maniyari police stations to prevent any untoward incident.