The Taliban government is controlled by a drug cartel.
Source: Intel Insights
The Taliban movement is a mafia-style, well-organized network that consolidates its power through the trafficking of drugs, weapons, and precious stones. Among them are key figures who have become so powerful that whenever their interests are threatened, they can seriously challenge any ruling system.
Who are the key figures in the Taliban mafia?
1 - HAJI GULMUHAMMAD BARICH (NAEEM BARICH):
Naeem Barich belongs to the Barich tribe from Garmser District in Helmand Province. He is one of the prominent Taliban commanders and a well-known drug trafficker. Barich has close ties with Iran and has established a large network for smuggling opium and heroin into Pakistan and Iran, with part of the profits going directly to the Taliban.
2 - MULLAH GUL AGHA (HIDAYATULLAH BADRI):
Mullah Gul Agha is one of the senior, long-standing members of the Taliban leadership. During the war against the republican regime, he headed the group’s financial commission. After the Taliban’s return to power, he held positions such as Minister of Finance, head of the Central Bank of Afghanistan, and Minister of Petroleum. He is considered one of the key figures managing the Taliban’s financial resources. Formerly known as a smuggler, he now uses the state apparatus to legalize the Taliban’s illicit businesses.
3 - BASHIR NOORZAI (HAJI BASHIR):
Haji Bashir is one of Afghanistan’s largest drug traffickers, long known as the “bank of the Taliban.” He provided the movement with billions of dollars through the opium trade. Although he was imprisoned in the United States for many years, his network remained active. Bashir Noorzai had been funding the Taliban since the group’s early days. In September 2022, he was released from Guantanamo prison as part of a prisoner exchange.
4 - HAJI LAL JAN ISHAQZAI:
Haji Lal Jan, from Sangin District in Helmand Province, is a powerful local figure and a key partner in the Taliban’s smuggling network. He plays a crucial role in transporting narcotics out of Afghanistan and serves as a link between international mafia networks and the Taliban. A significant portion of the Taliban’s financial resources is channeled through his network.
