KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban security command in Kunar says that nine people have been arrested in the “Pech Dara” district of this province on charges of cutting down forests.
In a statement, the command said that these individuals were arrested (Saturday, April 18) from the “Korangal” area of Pech Dara district.
The Taliban security command in Kunar said that three chainsaws belonging to these individuals were also confiscated.
The command said that the arrested individuals have confessed to their “crime” and that investigations into them are ongoing.
The Taliban have previously also arrested and imprisoned individuals on charges of cutting down forests.
The widespread and uncontrolled deforestation in Kunar province and several other provinces of the country has repeatedly drawn criticism.
A report by Scientific American Magazine has also highlighted that the illegal timber trade has long been a major source of income for various armed groups operating in eastern Afghanistan, with smuggled wood often transported into Pakistan, where it continues to fuel a steady cross-border black market despite official bans on logging.
“For decades, the illegal timber trade has been a crucial income source for multiple groups vying for power within eastern Afghanistan—including the Taliban and, more recently, the Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State known as Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). Illegally harvested wood is most often smuggled east into Pakistan, which provides a consistent market for as much timber as Afghan smugglers can provide,” according to the report.
Although the Taliban has banned logging, according the Scientific American, the ban is rarely enforced as the locals depend on logging to feed their families, with timber being in high demand in the region. And the group itself relied on it to finance its insurgency against the previous government and international forces.
Environmental experts warn that continued deforestation in mountainous provinces like Kunar can lead to soil erosion, increased risk of floods, and long-term ecological damage, affecting both local communities and biodiversity in the region.
