Taliban Seize Gold Mines, Loot Afghan Resources to Fund Regime

The Taliban regime occupying Afghanistan has extorted money from its citizens, seized private property, and plundered natural resources to sustain its unrecognized rule. These malicious actions have increasingly become a source of instability for neighboring countries in the region.

According to the Afghan newspaper Hasht-e-Subh, the Taliban’s seizure of gold mines has accelerated across the northeastern provinces. The report states that whenever Taliban elements receive information regarding a gold mine, they evict the owners and occupy the site themselves. In Takhar province, local residents recently took to the streets to protest these seizures, which led to violent clashes with Taliban forces.

The investigative report further highlights that residents in Badakhshan, Takhar, and Farah are being systematically denied mining permits. Instead, Taliban supporters are granted control of these sites in exchange for a designated share of the profits. This extraction network, bolstered by the Taliban-Al Qaeda alliance, is reportedly generating millions of dollars every week. Specifically, the income from gold mines alone has exceeded $25 million per month. However, rather than being integrated into the annual national budget to provide public services, these funds are funneled directly into the pockets of high-ranking Taliban commanders.

Experts and analysts warn that this plunder of natural resources is driving Afghanistan deeper into poverty and a worsening economic crisis. Observers note that the struggle for control over these lucrative assets has created a new flashpoint of tension between rival powerful and extremist circles. Ultimately, the regime’s increasing corruption, repressive policies, and support for the promotion of terrorism continue to cause grave concern for both the Afghan people and the broader international community.