How can someone report a crime or police misconduct in Afghanistan?

The formal first contact is the 119 Police Directorate, which receives reports of crimes, suspicious activity, police misconduct, corruption and human-rights complaints. Local provincial or district police may also be contacted, but communication failures, variable coverage and uncertain follow-up can affect the result.

What should someone do after kidnapping, robbery or extortion in Afghanistan?

Prioritize immediate personal safety, avoid confrontation when escape is unsafe and contact trusted people or the 119 Police Directorate when communication is possible. Kidnapping and extortion can involve prolonged captivity, so reporting should account for retaliation risks and the limited reliability of confidentiality and witness protection.

Where can victims of gender-based violence seek help in Afghanistan?

Humanitarian and protection partners provide combinations of case management, mental-health and psychosocial support, safe accommodation, legal counselling, health assistance and livelihood support. Access depends on province, available female staff, funding and restrictions imposed by the de facto authorities; community or family mediation may be the only accessible option in some areas.

How can people reduce everyday crime risks while travelling or living in Afghanistan?

Use secure accommodation, vary routes and routines, keep trusted contacts informed, prepare backup communication and navigation methods, avoid demonstrations and sensitive sites, and limit visible cash or ATM exposure. No location can currently be presented as free from crime risk.

How are online scams and other cybercrime reported in Afghanistan?

The Information Systems Security Directorate of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Afghanistan Computer Emergency Response Team have stated cyber-investigation and first-response functions. A complete, publicly verified victim-reporting workflow and its practical nationwide capacity are not available.

Crime in Afghanistan

Crime in Afghanistan includes street robbery, home invasion, kidnapping, extortion, trafficking, gender-based violence and online fraud. Risks differ by location and situation, with heightened exposure for women and girls, children, minorities, displaced or undocumented people, foreigners and those perceived to have money. Police contact, emergency reporting and victim support exist, but access, confidentiality and protection cannot be relied on consistently.

Tip

Treat everyday safety in Afghanistan as a risk-management task, not as a search for a crime-free area. Put personal safety and reliable communication first, and choose reporting or support channels according to urgency, local access, retaliation risk, age, gender and whether the incident is offline or digital. If confidentiality or follow-up cannot be relied on, involve a trusted contact or humanitarian protection partner only when doing so does not create additional danger.

byMursal&Wahid

Urban areas commonly face petty crime, armed robbery, home invasion and vehicle theft, while kidnapping for ransom, extortion, trafficking and authority-related risks can affect people across the country. Kidnapping risk is significant to very high, especially on busy roads, near banks or ATMs, and for foreigners, aid workers, media staff, NGO employees and people perceived as wealthy. Captivity may last for a long time, and captives can be transferred to armed or terrorist groups. The 119 Police Directorate is the formal first contact for reported crimes, suspicious activity, police misconduct, corruption and human-rights complaints. The service is formally available to citizens around the clock, but coverage, response time and effectiveness vary, and telecommunications shutdowns can interrupt emergency communication. Provincial and district police, the General Directorate of Counter-Crimes, traffic and border police, community police and other Ministry of Interior Affairs units have different responsibilities. Complaints may not receive an independent or transparent investigation, and confidentiality, due process and protection from retaliation are not reliably assured. Women and girls face severe barriers to reporting gender-based violence, including rape, domestic violence, forced or child marriage and so-called honour killings. Formal and women-led dispute-resolution channels have been restricted, while family, community jirgas or shuras may provide the only accessible response in some cases; their practical and legal force varies. Humanitarian and protection partners offer case management, mental-health and psychosocial support, safe accommodation, legal counselling, health assistance and livelihood support through community-based centres, temporary spaces and a helpline, but province, staffing, funding and restrictions imposed by the de facto authorities affect access. Children face risks from domestic and sexual violence, child marriage, hazardous labour, trafficking, exploitation, recruitment and smuggling. Unaccompanied boys returning to Afghanistan face particular trafficking and exploitation risks. UNICEF reported that about one in five children aged 5 to 17 engaged in child labour in 2025, while 58 percent of children under five lacked a birth certificate. Current access to a juvenile-justice system has not been independently verified. Digital crime includes online scams, romance fraud, harassment and illegal material. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s Information Systems Security Directorate states that it investigates cybercrime and resolves cyber or electronic cases, while the Afghanistan Computer Emergency Response Team provides first-response functions and cyber-awareness work. A complete public victim-reporting procedure and the current capacity or prevalence of digital crime have not been verified. Prevention advice includes securing accommodation, varying travel patterns, informing trusted contacts, keeping alternative communication and navigation options, avoiding demonstrations, large public gatherings, sensitive sites and checkpoints, and reducing visible cash or ATM exposure. The available data do not provide a robust current national crime time series; official case announcements do not measure prevalence. Opium cultivation fell by 20 percent year on year in the 2025 Afghanistan Opium Survey, while regional methamphetamine seizure frequency at the end of 2024 was about 50 percent above the third quarter of 2021, showing a market shift rather than the disappearance of drug trafficking.