Thieves Steal 1 Kilogram of Gold and 6.6 Million Afghanis from Shop, Exchange Office in Badakhshan

Thieves entered the market in Wendian village, Shahr-e Bozorg district of Badakhshan province, last night and stole one kilogram of gold and six million 600 thousand Afghanis, residents said.

The robbers first targeted the shop owned by Haji Mohammad Azim in the market, taking about three million Afghanis. They then broke through the wall next to the shop and entered an adjacent exchange office, where they stole one kilogram of gold and about three million 600 thousand Afghanis.

Local residents in Wendian village described severe security weaknesses in markets and public places under Taliban control. They pointed to the lack of effective security measures that allowed the theft to occur unchecked.

Residents also recalled a prior incident in Andkhoi district of Faryab province, where armed thieves dressed in Taliban clothes entered a gold shop, killed two brothers and stole jewels. That event underscored ongoing concerns about insecurity in the region.

The theft in Badakhshan highlights persistent challenges with crime in rural markets, despite Taliban governance. No arrests or further details on the perpetrators were reported.