(VOVworld) – Taliban are increasing their dealings with narcotics traffickers, illegal mining rings, and kidnappers for ransom, which would raise serious concerns for Afghanistan’s new leaders, a UN report said Monday.

An Afghan National Army soldier during an anti-Taliban operation in 2015. (Photo: AFP)

While Taliban’s ties to drugs traffickers date back to the 1990s, the report indicates Taliban’s involvement in other crimes has increased in recent years. Hostage takings by Taliban have increased since 2005, with ransoms paid totalling at least 16 million USD, according to the report.
UN experts said Taliban’s strengthened ties with the organized crimes would make it more difficult to foster reconciliation, because it now has little economic incentive to make peace. The report suggested the UN Security Council use targeted sanctions to cut Taliban’s criminal connections.