Published Date:
03 July 2009
SOLDIERS have been left mystified after what was at first thought to be a major haul of opium poppy seeds turned out to be innocent mung beans.
British troops came across a 1.3 tonne bag of seeds in a major operation in Helmand last week, said a spokesman. The find was originally hailed as a big haul of opium poppy seeds.
Afghanistan produces 90% percent of the world's opium and the fight against this trade, which helps fund the Taliban, is a major element of the battle against the insurgency in Afghanistan.
However tests on the seeds showed they were mung beans, a legal if much less profitable crop.
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Last Updated:
03 July 2009 10:42 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Burnley
