Taliban forces stationed along the highway connecting Kabul to Panjshir Province are allegedly extorting money from drivers at roadside checkpoints, according to local sources and affected motorists.
Several drivers told Amu TV that they are routinely forced to pay as much as 250 Afghanis (approximately $3) for each trip through Taliban checkpoints. The payments, they say, are unregulated and vary from one commander to another.
“There’s no clear rule — each Taliban commander decides how much to take,” said one driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. “If we refuse to pay, they impound our vehicles for several days. In that case, we’re forced to pay up to 300 Afghanis per day just to retrieve them.”
Drivers report that the financial strain has grown increasingly severe, especially for those who rely on daily transport work to support their families.
They added that such informal tolls and extortion have become more frequent since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, compounding the economic hardships faced by ordinary Afghans.
Taliban officials have not commented on the allegations.
