Taliban Find New Revenues as They Seize Afghanistan’s U.S.-Built Border Gateway

KABUL—The Taliban have obtained a rewarding new supply of cash flow, taking around the primary trade gateway into Tajikistan, and commencing to accumulate customs revenues, as some of Afghanistan’s neighbors tacitly cooperate with the insurgent team.

The American-constructed Sher Khan Bandar crossing, north of the city of Kunduz, fell to the Taliban on June 22, with 134 border guards and other Afghan federal government troops fleeing to neighboring Tajikistan. Considering the fact that then, the insurgents have seized most of the rest of Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan. Practically one,000 Afghan troops sought refuge in Tajikistan on Sunday and Monday, by yourself, surrendering the second principal crossing, Ishkashim.

Instead of shutting down right after the insurgent takeover, the Sher Khan Bandar complicated has remained operational, with tacit understandings attained concerning the Taliban and Tajikistan, according to community traders.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen explained the team had attained out to the governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan right after taking around a number of border spots in June.

“We knowledgeable all these governments and certain them that the regimen get the job done of the border, the customs, will be managing as prior to,” Mr. Shaheen explained in an interview. “Even the team users of the customs, we have not modified them, we instructed them: Do your get the job done as it was. We haven’t even modified the stamps. The explanation is that we really don’t want to make challenges for businessmen, for traders, for frequent folks.”