Emeralds from Swat valley funding Taliban's jihad against West

High-quality emeralds obtained from mines in Pakistan's restive Swat valley are being used to finance the war against the West by Taliban, who smuggle the gems to Jaipur and then to the world markets, a media report said today.

Swat, which holds one of Asia's two largest known deposits of high-quality emeralds, was virtually taken over by the Taliban after making a peace deal with the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) provincial government.

Obtained from mines in the picturesque Swat, the precious stones are smuggled to Jaipur and then transported to Bangkok, Switzerland and Israel to be sold in gem markets to fund the Taliban's jihad against West, The Sunday Telegraph said today.

They are cut and polished into gems that adorn the world's finest jewellery, and sold to customers who have no idea that their money may end up financing the Taliban, the paper said.

The unlicensed trade in the region’s emeralds provides the Taliban with cash to buy weapons for their struggle against Pakistan’s government. “The Taliban use drug money for jihad in Afghanistan.”