A number of residents in western Kabul have expressed serious concern about rising thefts. They say neither their property nor their lives are safe, and that thieves are even stealing the donation boxes of mosques. Some residents of Dasht-e-Barchi say thieves are even taking expensive women’s clothing. In one case, thieves went through the household belongings and singled out a hand-embroidered pair of women’s trousers to take with them. They say they cannot raise their voices for fear of the Taliban, and that every time thieves are arrested, they are released again after paying a bribe. According to these residents, some Taliban fighters are also involved in the thefts.
Residents of various areas of Dasht-e-Barchi in western Kabul, expressing concern over the rise in thefts, say there is no authority to answer to them, and that after arrest, thieves are released again through collusion with some individuals within Taliban ranks and the payment of bribes. They say that complaining to the Taliban not only fails to solve the problem but creates more trouble for residents, because the group’s fighters raid people’s homes on various pretexts to carry out inspections and searches.
One resident of Dasht-e-Barchi, who did not want his name mentioned in the report, says: “We live in the Tank-e-Tel area. Theft has become very widespread here. They even steal the donation boxes of mosques. They stole our mosque’s donation box too. One night, we were asleep when we heard gunshots. When we got up, we saw that the person who sleeps at the mosque at night to guard it had fired shots because thieves were coming. The shooting continued for several nights, but in the end the thieves took the box.”
This Barchi resident adds: “One night we were awake and someone was opening our front door with a key. We were very frightened. I called my father; he went outside but saw that no one was there. In many areas, thieves come and go, and such incidents happen every few nights. For this reason, the Taliban patrol at night and search people more than they look for the thieves. In the process, they also label innocent people as thieves, and if anyone leaves home at night for any reason, they are detained.”
Another resident of Dasht-e-Barchi says: “I had gone to the home of my sister’s daughter, who lives near us. When I returned home in the morning, I saw that thieves had broken into my house. They had searched everywhere at their leisure and had taken everything, from a tea thermos to all the valuable items in my home. They even stole the 500 Afghanis I had earned with great difficulty and put in my suitcase. They had taken my dresses out of the suitcase and picked through them, and they had also taken my veil and my hand-embroidered trousers. I was very upset; they had taken everything I owned. I thought it was just that one night, but they came back the next night. I woke up at the time of dawn prayer, and when I called out to a neighbor, the thieves fled.”
This Barchi resident adds: “To identify the thieves, we checked the neighbors’ cameras, but the thieves’ faces were covered. They carry the stolen goods away by bicycle, and after passing through a few alleys, no trace of them can be found. I have no one, and I do not feel safe; I am very worried.”
Another resident of Dasht-e-Barchi says: “It has increased to an unprecedented degree. Perhaps one of the reasons is the excessive spread of poverty; people turn to theft out of desperation. Even young people who have studied and have skills are unemployed, and in the end, out of desperation, they turn to illegal activities. Thieves are released again by paying bribes to the Taliban. This causes the thieves to become bolder and be encouraged to steal.”
This Barchi resident adds: “Theft in western Kabul is increasing day by day, and the situation shows that robberies have spread in a chain-like pattern. From climbing walls and entering people’s homes to stealing in the alleys, everything is deeply worrying.”
One resident of the Omid-e-Sabz township says: “Theft has truly increased. One of our family members was targeted by thieves while returning from the market. The thieves stabbed him three times, and he was in surgery for several hours. If he had not reached the hospital in time, he would have lost his life. The situation is truly worrying. On the one hand, people are afraid of the Taliban, and on the other, they do not know where to complain or whom to turn to.”
These concerns have grown in Dasht-e-Barchi at a time when, last week, a young man was stabbed to death in the Regression area of the district. A resident told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the young man’s name was Ali Abbas, and that he was attacked on the morning of Wednesday last week in Jafari Alley, First Street of Regression, and died after bleeding. According to him, Ali Abbas’s mobile phone and money were also stolen.
This comes as the Taliban have repeatedly claimed that nationwide security has been ensured in the country; however, citizens in various provinces of the country have previously expressed serious concern many times over the rise in armed robberies.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
افزایش دزدی در غرب کابل؛ از لباسهای قیمتی تا صندوقهای صدقه مسجدها در امان نیستند
