Reports give a picture of how the Islamists have financed themselves

With power, equipment and capabilities surprising to many overseas observers, the Taliban are overrunning the parts of Afghanistan last held by the government and its allies. A decisive factor that enables the militia to advance in a coordinated manner across almost the entire country in the shortest possible time is their financial strength, which has grown in recent years. Even if even secret services can only estimate the exact income, reports from the UN and NATO give a picture of how the Islamists, ostracized as a terrorist organization in many countries, have financed themselves in recent years. Especially since Mullah Jakub, son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, was appointed deputy leader of the terrorist group and took over responsibility for its finances, the Taliban have significantly expanded their sources of income, according to a recent UN report. Its annual budget for 2019/2020 was estimated in a report for NATO from late last year at up to 1.6 billion US dollars. The drug business is still probably the biggest source of income. About 80 percent of the heroin traded worldwide comes from Afghanistan. The Taliban not only have poppies grown in parts of their territory and tax the income. They are also involved in all other parts of the processing and value chain. They are said to have collected around 460 million US dollars in 2019/2020. Income may even have increased recently. According to the UN, the Afghan government's efforts to combat drug cultivation have been declining for months. Business is likely to flourish more than ever.