Report shows illegal mining in Nangarhar

KABUL (Tolo News): Precious and semi-precious stones are being illegally mined in Goshta district of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, in an area along the Durand Line – the de facto border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, TOLOnews has learned. Up to 50 metric tons of nephrite and chromite, semi-precious stones used in design tools for homes, are being illegally extracted from deposits in the Mama Khil area in Goshta district. Most of these extracted minerals are sent to Pakistan and China.

TOLOnews reporters Tamim Hamid and Abdulhaq Omeri traveled from Jalalabad city to Goshta district, which is not a secure area. “Stones are taken from here to the (center of) Goshta district and from there to Lal Pur district (in Nangarhar) and other parts and even outside of Afghanistan,” said a Nangarhar resident who wished not to be named. The finding shows that six areas in Mamakhil village, which encompasses up to 80 deposits, have been illegally extracted for the past 15 years. 10 to 15 people are working at each of the deposits.

Up to three trucks and 15 cars carry the extracted minerals to the center of Goshta every day, TOLOnews learned. Each truck carries 11 tons, small trucks carry five tons and other cars carry 1.5 tons of the minerals each time they travel to the areas where the deposits are located. The drivers charge Afs5,000 for each ton of the minerals. According to the man who gave the information to TOLOnews on the condition of anonymity, some foreign nationals are also seen in the area who check the quality of minerals that are extracted there. “Chinese people are also coming here and are roaming around the deposits. They were here. Punjabis are also coming here,” said the man.

The finding shows that each ton of both kinds of minerals is sold for $1,000 to 5,000. “These people (Chinese nationals) believe that the green color which the minerals have are the stones of heaven and they use it for decorative things,” said Ibrahim Jafari, a member of a natural resources monitoring network. The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum insisted that the government has control over the deposits in Goshta district.

“In the areas where there was illegal extraction, it was done by the locals or some other people and this created the environment for smuggling and illegal extraction. All of this has been stopped,” said Abdul Qadir Mutfi, spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum. However, tribal elders in Goshta said an operation by security forces that was carried out last month in the area only slowed the illegal mining for few days but it resumed at its previous pace. “This is not something that we would be able to do.

This is done by those who are influential and no one can prevent it. This is not something that is done by the poor people,” said Afridi Khan, a tribal elder. “The mines belonged to the people and they should be used by the people and the extraction should be done professionally,” said Jandad Khan, a tribal elder.