Amid growing concerns over the rise in thefts across the country, drivers and vehicle owners at the Islam Qala customs post in Herat have raised serious alarm about the worsening situation. They say vehicle parts and fuel used to be stolen from their trucks at night, but now thefts are taking place in broad daylight, with no one being held accountable. Even after approaching Taliban-controlled institutions, they say, they have received no response. Drivers are thoroughly searched upon entering and exiting the customs facility and are not allowed to take out even “a single egg,” yet thieves move freely within the compound. Most of these thefts, the drivers say, occur on holidays, particularly on Fridays.
Several drivers and vehicle owners at the Islam Qala customs post say that over the past two months, thefts have surged at the facility, and the Taliban have offered no accountability. Most of these thefts take place on holidays, they say, and some drivers have confirmed the involvement of Taliban-affiliated individuals. Theft, looting, and insecurity have reached their peak, according to the drivers, and no one is answerable. People’s property, they say, has no protection.
One driver said: “Thieves came at night and broke the vehicle’s door. They took the ignition key. Every day, there is looting, theft, and plunder. Insecurity has reached its peak. No one can ensure the safety of their vehicle inside the customs facility. Something must be done. A vehicle worth 50,000 or 60,000 dollars is parked inside the customs compound. How can anyone trust this situation? Every day, vehicle parts are stolen,n and fuel is siphoned off. Is there anyone who will see this and hear the people’s voice?”
Another driver at Islam Qala customs said, “I parked my vehicle the night before Eid al-Adha. When I came back, the doors were wide open. They had stolen everything from inside. The thieves left their cigarette pack by the vehicle, calmly smoked a few cigarettes, committed the theft, and left. A person cannot even smoke that leisurely in their own home.”
A third driver said, “Thieves came in broad daylight, broke open the toolbox, and took everything. They used to steal at night, but now they steal in broad daylight too.” Pointing to the condition of his vehicle, he said this is the reality inside the Islam Qala customs facility.
Another driver at Islam Qala said, “These days, open theft from vehicles parked inside the customs facility while undergoing processing is ongoing. Vehicle thefts have increased significantly. Please bring this to the attention of the authorities so that action is taken. A part worth 200 dollars was stolen from my vehicle. I filed a complaint, but there was no follow-up. Every night, things are stolen from vehicles just like this.”
The drivers stress that they are thoroughly searched upon entering the customs facility and are not even allowed to carry out a carton of eggs for their families when leaving. Some drivers, they say, are barred from carrying out a carton of eggs worth 170 Afghanis brought from Iran for their households, yet thieves inside the compound smoke cigarettes at ease while stealing from vehicles.
The drivers add that they approached the Taliban commander, who told them they would be notified when a thief is caught. “Filing a complaint is completely meaningless,” they say.
Meanwhile, the drivers have provided video footage to the Hasht-e Subh Daily showing damaged vehicle parts and tampered interiors. Cigarette packs can be seen scattered around the vehicles in the footage. The drivers claim these belong to the thieves, who smoked at leisure after committing the thefts before leaving the scene.
These concerns come at a time when a large number of citizens across the country have expressed alarm over the rise in street robberies and armed thefts in various provinces. In the most recent incident, thieves in Kunduz province tied a person with a disability and his wife to a cot before robbing their home.
Sources confirmed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily yesterday that the incident took place on the first day of Eid al-Adha in the Zir Dawra area of Kunduz city. The four thieves searched the entire house for approximately 20 minutes, according to sources. They pulled the disabled man off the cot and found 2,000 Afghanis that someone had given him as assistance hidden inside the cot, taking it with them. The thieves then went to the basement, found the wife’s gold jewelry, and stole that as well, sources added.
This comes after several Kabul residents previously complained about the rise in thefts in streets and homes across various parts of the city. They said the surge in such incidents had forced them to resort to rudimentary methods to prevent break-ins, such as placing broken glass on top of walls and reinforcing windows.
Previously, several citizens said the Taliban are involved in some of these thefts and that robberies on public highways have also increased. Recently, the occupants of a vehicle traveling from Kabul toward Badakhshan were robbed of their money and valuables by armed thieves along the way.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
