Taliban annually pocket $15m from pistachio income

[BHarwana]

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): The Taliban have been the biggest beneficiary of pistachio crop in the Kushki Kuhna district of western Herat province, local officials said on Monday.

Syed Mohammad Chishti Modudi, the district’s administrative chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News an investigation by agriculture experts showed $15 million in annual income from pistachio crop in the district lined Taliban’s pockets.

He said two pistachio forests spread over 32,000 hectares of land existed in the district. The forests had been partially destroyed by local powerful individuals and Taliban, the official said


http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2017/03/13/taliban-annually-pocket-15m-pistachio-income

 

[Russell]

$15mil...that's it? That's chump change....they make close to $200mil from the drug trade.