Several Kabul residents have expressed concern over an increase in armed robberies and insecurity in parts of the city. They say armed men in the 11th and 15th police districts have posed a serious threat to the safety of people’s lives and their daily activities. According to them, some drivers are attacked, killed, or knocked unconscious with sedatives, after which their cars are stolen. The residents say that despite the rise in such incidents, the Taliban have taken no effective action to identify and arrest those behind the thefts.
Hamed (pseudonym), a Kabul resident, expressed concern about the rise in car thefts in the 11th and 15th police districts. According to him, armed thieves steal cars in these two districts, and despite car owners approaching the relevant Taliban institutions and following up repeatedly, the stolen cars are not recovered.
The Kabul resident says: “In the 11th and 15th police districts, armed thieves either kill drivers or knock them unconscious and wound them, and take their cars. When car owners go to the Taliban’s police districts, their cars are not found despite repeated follow-ups.” He says that a few days ago, thieves drugged a friend of his, a taxi driver, under the pretext of being taken to the Arzan Qimat area, and stole his car.
Hamed adds: “A few days ago, two men from Shahr-e Naw got into my friend’s car, who is a taxi driver, and asked him to take them to the Arzan Qimat area. On the way, they bought juice for themselves and gave some to my friend too, but they had put a sedative in the drink they gave him. After drinking it, my friend lost consciousness, and the thieves left him in a park and drove off with his car. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a park. He went to the Taliban and filed a complaint, but his car has still not been found.”
Nawid (pseudonym), a driver, says mobile phone thefts have increased lately and that he has personally witnessed several such cases.
The driver says: “If passengers in a car have their phones in their hands, next to their ears, or on their laps, motorcyclists wait for an opportunity at the stops. As soon as they notice that someone is holding a phone, they snatch it through the car window and flee. Traffic blockages have made it impossible for drivers to chase the thieves on motorcycles. Traffic congestion has made conditions even more favorable for such thefts.” According to him, two days ago a man’s mobile phone was stolen while he was talking on it.
Nawid adds: “Two days ago, a man was sitting in the front seat of the car, talking on his phone. A motorcyclist whose face was covered with a scarf snatched the phone from his hand and fled. Because of the traffic blockage, there was nothing we could do.”
Ghaffar (pseudonym), an orchard owner in Koh Daman, says 60,000 afghanis in cash were stolen from him. He says: “I sold my orchard produce to a trader, and after receiving the money, I was heading home. Two men were sitting on either side of me in the car, but the driver dropped me off halfway before reaching my destination and sped away. When I got out of the car, I realized my money had disappeared.”
Zahra, a resident of Kabul, says 100,000 afghanis in cash belonging to her uncle were stolen on the way to Mandawi. She says: “My uncle was planning to go to Mandawi with my father and my other uncle to buy supplies for his son’s wedding. They set off for Mandawi in a Mercedes car. My father and one uncle were sitting in the front seats, and my other uncle, who had the money, was sitting in the back seat. But when they reached the shop and got out of the car, they realized the money had disappeared.”
This comes as several Kabul residents had complained some time ago that the Taliban have been releasing arrested thieves again. They had said the detainees are freed after a short time and resume their criminal activities. According to them, these individuals are released in exchange for payments to the Taliban, and in some cases even people affiliated with the group are directly or indirectly involved in the thefts.
Meanwhile, local sources in Omid-e Sabz Township in western Kabul reported on October 13, 2023, that armed Taliban fighters had robbed a house in the area.
The sources had confirmed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that armed men who introduced themselves as an inspection delegation of the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice had stolen the belongings of a residential house in the fourth phase of the township. According to the sources, five armed Taliban fighters entered the house, locked the family members in a room, and then stole all of their valuables and other belongings.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
افزایش سرقتهای مسلحانه در کابل؛ از قتل رانندهگان تا سرقت موتر و پول نقد
