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

KABUL—The Taliban have acquired a lucrative new source of cash flow, getting about the most important trade gateway into Tajikistan, and starting to acquire customs revenues, as some of Afghanistan’s neighbors tacitly cooperate with the insurgent team.

The American-developed Sher Khan Bandar crossing, north of the metropolis of Kunduz, fell to the Taliban on June 22, with 134 border guards and other Afghan governing administration troops fleeing to neighboring Tajikistan. Because then, the insurgents have seized most of the relaxation of Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan. Just about 1,000 Afghan troops sought refuge in Tajikistan on Sunday and Monday, surrendering the 2nd principal crossing, Ishkashim.

In its place of shutting down soon after the insurgent takeover, the Sher Khan Bandar elaborate has remained operational, with tacit understandings arrived at concerning the Taliban and Tajikistan, according to regional traders.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen mentioned the team had arrived at out to the governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan soon after getting about various border locations in June.

“We knowledgeable all these governments and certain them that the regimen work of the border, the customs, will be running as ahead of,” Mr. Shaheen mentioned in an job interview. “Even the staff members users of the customs, we have not modified them, we instructed them: Do your work as it was. We have not even modified the stamps. The explanation is that we don’t want to build troubles for businessmen, for traders, for widespread persons.”