A joint team of the Bihar police and the Excise Department carried out an operation to destroy the poppy crop, cultivated by Maoists in Bihar's Gaya district, on Monday.

However, the police have failed to arrest any Maoists involved in the cultivation of opium.

"We have raided and destroyed poppy crops in 24 acres of land under the Imamganj police station," Omprakash Singh, a senior official of the Excise Department, told rediff.com.

Singh said the Maoist had cultivated opium to make money for their illegal activities and continue their operations against the police. "The drive to destroy poppy crops was undertaken after a tip off by a police informer" Singh said.
According to police sources in Gaya, which shares its border with Jharkhand, Maoists have been engaged in opium cultivation in forest areas near the border.

A senior police official added that opium cultivation is prevalent in areas, which are the stronghold of Maoists, such as Gaya and Hazaribagh district in Jharkhand.