(14 Apr 2016) The brilliant blue stone lapis lazuli, prized for millennia, is almost uniquely found in Afghanistan, a key part of the extensive mineral wealth that is seen as the best hope for funding development of one of the world's poorest nations.
Instead, lapis has become a source of income for the Taliban, smugglers and local warlords, emblematic of the central government's struggle to gain control over the resources and rein in corruption.
Afghanistan is missing out in millions of (US) dollars in revenues from lapis as illegal miners extract thousands of tons from the mines in northeastern Badakhshan province, according to experts and officials.
A local police commander named Abdul Malik has control over a major mine, charges illegal miners to use it and pays the Taliban to allow him to operate, according to an internal memo to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani from his top adviser on mines, seen by The Associated Press, and a top official.
Smugglers bribe local officials to turn a blind eye as they transport the gems to Kabul and to neighbouring Pakistan for sale, they said.
Legal mining peaked in 2014 at near 5,500 tons.
Rough lapis lazuli ranges in value from 4 to 2,000 US dollars a kilogramme (2.2 pounds), depending on quality.
Illegal mining was rampant and, in an effort to stop it, Afghanistan's National Security Council banned all lapis lazuli mining in early 2015.
But the mines themselves were not secured to prevent illegal exploitation, so Malik was able to take control with apparent impunity, said the official.
Malik pays the Taliban in the area about 440,000 US dollars a month in protection money, the official said.
He spoke on condition of anonymity fearing reprisals from those involved in the illegal trade.
Malik could not be reached by the AP to comment on the accusations.
Afghan media have also identified him as controlling lapis mining, and he has not responded.
The contraband lapis is transported to Kabul, hidden in trucks carrying fruit, coal or other commodities.
In the capital, it is sorted for global markets and from there most is taken to the Pakistani city of Peshawar, though some is flown to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, or the Indian city of Jaipur.
Throughout the process, the central government receives nothing in taxes, and instead all along the route, local authorities and powerbrokers benefit, extracting payments from smugglers.
For traders however who wish to work within the law, the government's ban on mining has been financially debilitating and they have demanded a solution to the problem which is destroying their livelihoods.


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