Hidden Emerald Mines Of Afghanistan: Everything You Didn't Know | TRACKS

[Music] the heart of Afghanistan the Panjshir the stronghold of general Masood nestled in these mountains at an altitude of over 3,000 meters is a village cut off from the world here lived 300 - in search of a precious stone emerald for 20 years these stones fueled war today they adorn the finest jewelry in the world the miners have only a few months after the thawing of the ice to get their hands on these tiny green gems here they take with whatever they've got and an appetite to the impossible but the road is long and fraught with danger sang sang bombs I do like Mario she texted exactly should I was having a dinner over a telephone our wall nigga but the small industry could yield a lot for Afghanistan actual moon the field yeah Sarah pizon sang convenient Oh may be I exploit a she say professionally the econ faith Hawaii Lakia on Afghanistan some professing moment EPA said Vera pareve at what I don't suppose the vehicle corals give a continual economy Afghan Afghanistan is a geological miracle the subsoil is replete with gold iron copper coal rare metals and precious stones a miracle which could generate 1000 billion euros and lift the Afghan people out of poverty [Music] the country could become the Saudi Arabia of all and leave behind it the nightmare of war here in Kabul there is no suggestion of holding off the Afghan feast the country's immense natural resources fuelling foreign interests so how are these emeralds exploited and why don't they generate more income for a country that has been on an international trip for more than 10 years Rafael is 38 he's been in Kabul since 2008 when he first arrived the Frenchman trained Afghan security forces before venturing into the Emerald trade on behalf of European jewelers Ahmad Afghan economy commendable Dominic led in the crystal is a pure 20 with extraction where are certain circles identity are keys from complete magnetic running cooler keep at home Iraqis Turkey see pure visible you see tube Chico until I saw short who do Sankhya aconcagua this evening Raphael has an appointment with a seller the man has arrived from pan share with 500 grams of emeralds these appointments take place in private Raphael collaborates with Habib his Afghan partner it's difficult to work alone in Afghanistan is a foreigner the Mariposa community for the premiere superficial consider Navarro an experiment EP like yugioh Dijon a function a responsible swamp risk oh come to my mainly low concerns a 20-minute call vascular ship's crew the cristela can pass your PID via the Kiska via email damn of quality if he is able to find this then we can see your future together dull cracked and too small Rafael knows these stones won't find a buyer in the exacting European market in Afghanistan the emerald trade is less than 40 years old the industry is not structured between the miners in the middlemen there is a multitude of small traders to get his hands on the most exceptional styles Raphael decides to go direct to the mines of Panjshir but to do this he needs permission and it is from a relation of general mu suit that he must obtain it drama life unless you my food welcome tale of how the mature Masood Patricia - is assumed pourquoi soda plus a solar pond Shia or security the swap for Transpo in first place a for power for who are materially mean about digitization white blue key by para Security surplus Vulcan ship opposite power a clip-on Jellicoe me I open a big project with the stone with the emerald I want to develop by the way also the economic yeah and with the Europe market right so with Paris I'm from Paris and French and so it's a long walk I spend three years to to to to make this happen so now we are walking on that still walking on that to start so we have a lot of requests also for Europe because the the emerald from Afghanistan is the best in the world the best quality and so anything you like to do so for the people here in denominations so they can help you in what is here or any other problems for pension or anywhere so we're here to help thank you your children homage how did you this is invaluable assistance for Rafael here whole regions remain under the control of tribes families and wallets final preparations Rafael checks his kids and takes one additional measure for him it's a matter of getting out of Kabul any way he can discomfort for Sudha plus a community it was all the wood onto New York I'll continue the 2500 expert vehicle but sample prisoner pass with no armed escort an unmarked car this specialist in close combat you can't be discretion over the 150 kilometers between Kabul and pan share abductions are common for the Taliban of foreigners worth their weight in gold to cloud coupons here I deserve it for every lap home the new couple faster Shama lives here about the risk very good problems the plasma that is philemon for from conclusion Hawaii available for development reso Valley Road is paneer with villages were more many figure rusev ROC like Papa tell the minister possibly non future that important area for extractions what after I would drive after the bridge okay thanks to the foundation Raphael is able to enter the province today security is heightened it's the commemoration of a momentous event the death of the Lion of Panjshir ahmed shah massoud every year since his assassination by an al-qaeda commando in September 2001 Pan series come to pay tribute to the memory of a man who for 20 years stood up to the Soviet Army and then to the Taliban over that period Massoud developed the precious stones trade to finance his war effort the whole valley placed himself as his service the business soon fetched 15 million euros per year enough to supply arms the Afghan emerald began to make a name for itself worldwide [Music] though the remnants of the war have disappeared the economy of the valley still revolves around the Emerald it is the only wealth of the province last stop before the mines the village of Kench here little has changed since the days of general Massoud in this destitute market we Jordan this is certainly not Kabul but in its own way the village is indispensable it is from here that the caravans set off on their way to the mines Rafael relies on this mine owner to get into the mind [Music] equipment and supplies are transported along this path everything that enables the - to sustain the long months in the mountains [Music] the ascent is long and perilous it will take over four hours to reach the mines on foot [Music] after stammer the knee therapist after dama de ARMA Duncan after Cushman okay but but Dharam coconut was the Carver the Frenchman finally reaches the miners camp at 3,000 metres above the sea level he is received by the owners men from for pan sherry families who reign over the Emerald business a business which is largely beyond the control of the state the mines have never been registered in Kabul [Music] these miners live far from their families in difficult conditions the majority are farmers from the valley they have six months before winter to an earthen emerald that would change their fortunes [Music] we go through this mine is actually the Emerald is now coming out so they can they can take it every day this thirst for emeralds drives the - to take the tunnels deeper up to 100 metres long without any danger is ever-present but they don't have a choice it is at these depths the stones are hidden [Music] [Music] the miners maintain there at the beginning of the operation the mountain is bursting with emeralds but the extraction techniques are so archaic progress is slow has been part of this artisan a Gomorrah Hamas Baja tech team at bahasa but Allah Tala meet him meet him I move by similarity by despair as I mean core show here's the cool image angel hello sir those who take the greatest risks are the pyrotechnist s-- they fashion the explosives themselves using powder salvaged from ammunition the government has banned them from using dynamite at the risk of the Taliban producing bombs Pokhara catapulter shown them the gas our gala memory Lenovo Dharma Tamira follows a certain commercial factors in a criminal de Ferran neighbor impose a guitar only person but sauce yes ice - ice - to go he has a chicken and he was good buddy buddy buddy buddy using this method of extraction accidents of frequency and the nearest clinic is more than four hours away on foot the explosives also damaged the stones an estimated 75 percent of the emeralds value is lost in the blast pierce a second bath bath see on what the dommage confess if yes up hips Korean bond tactic is pair the I dig on put who VD the the Pierre book or example Tom a kiss on Cassie won't pull on put who VD pure he's on fish away past her Sula Sulu what is exclusive kiss online someone meeting somebody to office and for those who work in these minds the Emerald stand for everything they've invested time resources efforts miners and proprietors are united they share the same goal stumbling upon a rich bein really build on beautiful oh that's a good cause you can secretly view these emeralds being passed around other fruits of the last week's extraction top dream job Madame Madame dark our colony eclipse on company hopes a mark Madonna's a mother to me like the routine yo babe Hoss if the Afghan amused compete with Dora Colombia and Brazil Rafael suggesting the clear stones to the European market is limited it's gonna be remediated garbage coolant Appetit sedan SATA equals no fungus even if he hasn't ultimately found what he was looking for from now on Raphael will have special access to the mites he hopes to be able to return soon with extraction equipment that will protect the Emerald and preserve its true value [Music] back in cage - village the Frenchman arranges for more meetings in order to expand his Network he hopes to establish links which will enable him to work in peace from Kabul and this is different this is a few hours after arriving Raphael received several proposals only one on the top yeah I'm provoke you Alex actual don't read Ashoka sequence kiddo much and please come sir Seeley Pike Latia flick I'm Julie ko a la Riva Corbett Monica successfully to pity pas capo de menthe wishes comes up on a cell see you fit the job task you sank our syllabi explosive of a crime we found LPS comb it was like for developing issues Papa said kudos cristela sitsit Kelly did be aa bottle football beautiful for a junket hi evil Internacional Raffaele is interested in this batch but he's not the only one the goods will be auctioned in Afghanistan you don't talk money in public it's considered offensive deals are negotiated under a scarf the Frenchman hits the jackpot but we won't find out the price each year pan share emeralds generate 50 million euros but 80% leave the country illegally often marked his Colombian or Brazilian a loss of state income so Valley Pakistan Fisher work on a madman de l'épée Eric - yee-hoo if yeah so ho true in certain value if you have played the father doot-doot was on wah to by Musco on phones were Ya Allah so what Hoover did was introduced of Allah Allah see on pouvez-vous me digital appear on Afghanistan española solar plant economics suppose a vocal coach only produce rapacious yourself a very food before the rang Kazuma Indian Astra exported precious stones are officially texted 27% by the government but the state is never managed to regulate the industry modern ceremonial a Turkish Juarez hockey Aquila at the HRC are advocated reducing their economies Oaxaca Hamad via France Ana's not smart enough understands our Marine mellitus ceremony key moonlit Amitabha so what how safe the Saudi Tao sawara for him in libras on a based equality the Saudi balasana what are the gotta Chronicle mean modern astronomy gonna ride economy the mine owners aren't the only ones to profit from the weakness of the state in Kabul the emerald market is under the control of one man Mohammed go my suits former driver Alberta's Tara well Mr Pyne soldiers in Western we always have us in the 1980s we sued entrusted him with a mission to retrieve some of the emeralds from the miners and sell them abroad today Mohammed cool believes this business belongs to him con una Madame Curie just has inaudible astern and as I'm gonna move Kowloon East Harbor ksk-san trapiche de Stefano bacala Mustafa said a Sanger team achieved a lot more tax rate you could they hate them Uranus in the walkways of the gemstone Bazaar Muhammad Ghul is at home Misuzu driver his exclusivity on the majority of export licenses and it is he to who sets the market price for rubies sapphires and emeralds at a time when foreign troops are beginning their withdrawal from Afghanistan and taking with them a quantity of international aid taking advantage of the country's natural resources has never been more vital but this requires a total remodeling if they are to stand any chance of attracting foreign capital meanwhile a third of the Afghan population still live below the poverty line you you

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Keywords: emerald mining, gemstone mining, real stories, emerald documentary, miner documentary, labour documentary, labour, al jazeera, gemological research, Amazing Stories, afghanistan documentary, gem mining, journeyman pictures, george bush, ahmad shah, afghanistan emerald, afghanistan documentary 2019, afghan documentary, gemstones documentary, mining documentary, TRACKS, tracks travel channel, tracks travel

Id: 9EZXlcMzJyU

Length: 27min 48sec (1668 seconds)

Published: Thu May 30 2019