AFGHANISTAN TALIBAN: How The Taliban Makes Money ??

After a long battle of 20 Years between the Taliban and the Afghanistan Government with the support of NATO. The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last month. To own the control of the nation which is helped by the United states and its NATO allies, the Taliban needs a huge budget and constant flow of money to fund its operations. 

As per a Forbes article published in 2016, the Taliban is the 5th richest terrorist organization in the world. According to a UN report in 2011, the Taliban used to earn around $400 million (2900 crores rupees) every year. According to a recent report of NATO, the Taliban earned $1.6 billion ( 11,840 crore rupees ) in 2020. 

Much of the Taliban's money comes from its drug trades. Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium. Opium is used to produce illicit drugs like Heroin. Afghanistan exports 80% of the world's opium valued anywhere between $1.5 billion to $3 billion. Taliban earns around $416 million ( 3000 crore rupee) from opium export alone. 

Another big source of its revenue is the huge deposits of rare earth metals and precious stones in Afghanistan. Most of the mining to obtain these metals and stones are illegal. Taliban earns around $400 million ( 2900 crore rupees ) from these mining's. Taliban also receives substantial funding from countries like Pakistan, the middle East and Russia. Individual's from these countries have donated around $240 million ( 1700 crore rupees) in 2020. 

Taliban controls the goods moving in and out of Afghanistan. Taliban also exports goods produced in Afghanistan. Taliban earns around $240 million ( 1700 crore rupee) from these exports. 

The terrorist organization collects taxes and protection money from individuals, traders, businesses and organization's operating in territories controlled by the Taliban. In the year 2020, the Taliban earned $160 million ( 1180 crore rupees ) in protection money. 

Taliban uses this vast sum of money to procure arms, explosives and as a private purse of top leads. As Afghanistan is in control of the Taliban, it is safe to assume that the money the Taliban earn will grow to an astronomical level.  

 

source by : Index Daily