Security personnel at the poppy field at Hasri village in Rohtas on Wednesday. Picture by Sanjay Choudhary

Patna, Feb. 22: Security personnel have stumbled upon a huge poppy plantation on the Kaimur hills.

This is the first such find by the security personnel in the region, which is under strict surveillance of the Maoists operating in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Of late, the hilly terrains under Shahabad and Magadh ranges have turned into a haven for poppy cultivators.

Acting on a tip-off by the intelligence bureau, a police team led by Rohtas superintendent of police (SP) Manu Maharaj carried out a special drive against the Maoists at Hasri village under Nauhatta police station on Kaimur plateau last week. The policemen were surprised to find standing crops of poppy (opium) on a vast track of land on the outskirts of the village.

He said the police have information about poppy cultivation in several such villages under the control of the Maoists. “We will locate the places and take necessary action soon,” Maharaj told The Telegraph on Wednesday.

“The villagers turned to poppy cultivation as they were pressurised by the Maoists, who used to provide Rs 10,000 each to the villagers for the upkeep of each cottah of poppy plantation. They (Maoists) provided seeds to the growers free of cost for poppy cultivation in the area,” Maharaj quoted a resident of the area as saying. However, he said some villagers were not aware that poppy cultivation was a punishable offence.

A joint team of the Central Paramilitary Police Force and the district police conducted another major operation at Barachatti in Gaya. Sources said poppy cultivation has been detected at Jaygir, Kewali, Somiya, Salaiya, Bilaspur, Masaudha and Jalhi villages.

Sub-divisional police officer B.K. Basantry said: “The security personnel have destroyed standing crops on about 20 acres over the past few days. Total 84 persons have been made accused in separate FIRs lodged at different police stations under the sub-division.”

Deputy inspector-general (Magadh range) Nayyar Hasnain Khan said the Maoists were luring villagers to take up poppy cultivation to generate funds for the banned outfit. “A major part of the money collected through poppy farming is used by the rebels for purchasing firearms,” he said.

The villagers adopted poppy growing in remote areas mainly because they were not easily accessible by the police. “Poppy plantation is thriving in Maoist-affected areas as the growers get 10 to 20 times more money than they earn from wheat, paddy and other traditional crops,” an investigating officer said.

He said as the Maoists have received a setback over the past few months following the arrest of senior leaders and hardcore cadres, they have now focused on poppy cultivation for revenue generation. “There have been reports of drastic decrease in the collection of levy,” the officer added.

“About 80-90kg of raw material (produce) is obtained from the poppy crop on one acre land. The rate of produce is high in the international market. Each kg of final produce fetches Rs 1.5 crore in the international market,” he said.