Taliban Police Seize 656kg of Lapis Lazuli and Weapons from Truck in Parwan

Taliban police in Parwan province said their forces seized 656 kilograms of lapis lazuli during a road operation in the city of Charikar, recovering the precious stones from inside a cargo truck in what the authorities described as a covert shipment.

According to Taliban security officials, the lapis lazuli had been “skillfully” concealed in a type 580 truck, and the force removed it after stopping and searching the vehicle in the area of Charikar’s seventh security district.

The statement added that six cartons of sexual enhancement medicine and three Glock pistols were also found in the same vehicle, items the Taliban said had been hidden in different parts of the truck.

Taliban police said two people have been arrested in connection with the case, and after initial investigations are completed, the file will be handed over to the group’s judicial authorities.

The administration says the shipment was being transported from Badakhshan to Kabul and was intended for “illegal markets.” The Taliban also said it continues to monitor road routes and combat the smuggling of precious stones in the northern and central provinces.