RASC News Agency: Sources within the central Taliban prison in Herat report that the group is selling drugs to select inmates through stores located inside the prison. A reliable source in Herat, speaking on condition of anonymity, informed RASC News Agency on Wednesday, May 8, that the Taliban has placed individuals of their choice in the prison shops. In addition to inflating food prices, these shops also sell drugs to certain inmates.
The source mentioned that the drugs sold within Herat’s central prison include hashish, opium, and other varieties, which many inmates find unacceptable. The source did not disclose the exact prices of drugs inside the prison but noted that the prices are two to three times higher than outside the prison. Some inmates are forced to pay these inflated prices for the substances they desire.
Meanwhile, a relative of an inmate in Herat, who requested anonymity, told RASC News Agency that the Taliban conducts thorough and intense body searches during inspections of visitors entering the prison. The relative explained that the Taliban does not permit any visitor to meet with inmates without undergoing a complete search.
The source added that, through these actions, the Taliban aims to portray itself to the public as actively combating drug trafficking. However, behind the scenes, the group is skillfully facilitating drug trade through the prison’s shops. Moreover, some Herat residents confirmed that the buying and selling of drugs inside the prison is a common occurrence, conducted under the supervision of Taliban officials at Herat’s central prison.
Ahmed Shah, a resident of Herat, told RASC News Agency that the center of drug trafficking in western Afghanistan is linked to the Taliban, which provides access to other sources. He mentioned that the current leaders of drug dealers in Herat are in connection with Taliban officials across different regions, conducting their activities discreetly. Simultaneously, Mashfaq Rahmani, an expert on western Afghanistan, informed RASC News Agency that the Taliban’s expertise primarily lies in two areas: cultivating and harvesting drugs and carrying out suicide bombings and explosive attacks.
He stated that whether or not the Taliban remains in power in Afghanistan, they will not abandon the issue of drugs, giving it even more importance than before. According to Rahmani, all of the Taliban’s drug eradication efforts are purely symbolic and lack genuine impact. This occurs despite the fact that local and security officials of the Taliban in western Afghanistan have repeatedly claimed that one of the group’s key objectives is to combat drug trafficking and widespread corruption in administrative bodies.
