RASC News Agency: The Directorate of Mines and Petroleum in Panjshir, under the Taliban’s control, recently issued an announcement concerning the sale of emeralds extracted from the province’s mines. A newsletter, published by the Panjshir Taliban group’s leader, unveiled that a total of 1,519 carats of emeralds were auctioned off. The transaction occurred on Tuesday, January 9th, with the emeralds fetching a total sum of $198,200.
Mohammad Qasim Amiri, overseeing mines and petroleum for the Taliban in Panjshir province, declared that the emeralds found buyers among domestic businessmen. This isn’t the first instance of the Taliban selling emeralds from Panjshir, as they’ve previously conducted similar auctions. It’s noteworthy that the Taliban, particularly in northern regions, has been involved in the plundering of mines across the country.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum asserts the presence of 750 emerald mines in Panjshir, with 500 presently operational. However, the responsibility for mining these emerald sites and the methods employed remain unclear. Over the past two years, the Taliban has exhibited a pronounced interest in Afghanistan’s natural resources, especially mines and petroleum wells.
They’ve leveraged these resources as a means of income generation and sustaining their regime. This involves indiscriminate mining of various minerals, such as coal, chromite, marble, and others, which are subsequently sold to neighboring countries, notably Pakistan, resulting in substantial profits for the Taliban.
