Taliban Arrest Dozens of Money Exchangers in Herat Amid Crackdown on Unlicensed Operators
Sources in Herat report that the Taliban have arrested more than 60 money exchangers over the past week for operating without licences.
Sources in Herat report that the Taliban have arrested more than 60 money exchangers over the past week for operating without licences.
The arrests come in the wake of new regulations introduced by the Taliban-controlled Central Bank of Afghanistan, requiring money exchangers to provide a guarantee of six million Afghanis to obtain a licence.
The Currency Exchange and Monetary Services law, implemented in 2024, prohibits anyone from providing monetary services without a valid licence. Sources indicate that the Taliban has intensified its enforcement efforts, particularly between Thursday of last week and Wednesday, 1 January.
Taliban military units reportedly blocked access to Behdad and Khurasan markets in Herat, detaining money exchangers, shopkeepers, and even ordinary citizens collecting funds. These arrests follow months of increased pressure on the money exchange community in Herat.
In late July 2024, the Taliban had already shut down the Khurasan Market, Herat’s main hub for currency exchange. This closure prompted dozens of money exchangers to stage a protest outside the Taliban governor’s office in Herat, demanding the market’s reopening and the removal of restrictive conditions on their operations.
In addition to protests, the Afghan Money Exchangers Union had gone on strike in recent months to oppose the Taliban’s stringent requirements. A money exchanger in Herat told Afghanistan International that many exchangers cannot afford the six million Afghani guarantee, while others who can are reluctant to comply due to a lack of trust in the Taliban.
