The insurgent Taliban took over Afghanistan with astonishing speed, but it appears unlikely that it will prove equally as fast in gaining control of most of the Afghan central bank’s roughly $10 billion in assets.
The country's central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), is thought to hold foreign currency, gold and other treasures in its vaults, though the exact contents are unclear, according to an Afghan official. Moreover, the vast majority of the assets are held outside Afghanistan, according to another source familiar with the matter, which may leave most of the hoard beyond the insurgents' reach.
Reuters was unable to reach Afghan central bank officials. The bank's governor, Ajmal Ahmady, said in a Twitter thread that he left deputies in charge of the bank on Sunday, later flying out of Kabul Airport after President Ashraf Ghani and other key officials had already fled. Ahmady did not respond to emails and messages seeking comment.