The Taliban’s Department of Mines and Petroleum in Kunar has announced the sale of 1,585 kilograms of tourmaline stone extracted from mines in the province for a value of 119.3 million Afghanis.
Mohammad Shirin Haqqani, the Taliban’s head of Mines and Petroleum in Kunar, said that the quantity of tourmaline was sold through an auction on Tuesday (6 Asad).
He stated that 11.9 million Afghanis from the proceeds of the sale of these precious stones had been deposited into the Taliban’s treasury.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have begun large-scale extraction of the country’s mineral resources and the sale of mining products.
In addition to Kunar’s tourmaline mines, the group is also extracting emeralds from Panjshir, lead and zinc from Bamyan, and various other minerals from mines across several provinces.
The Taliban’s mining activities have also faced widespread criticism, with several political groups accusing the group of plundering Afghanistan’s mineral resources.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
