Afghanistan's Ministry of the Interior shut down QNet in mid-2020, but the scheme is still operating illegally across the country.

Forty staff members and promoters were arrested in Kabul on fraud charges. A court sentenced 39 of them to 18 months in prison, with one receiving a sentence of one year and one month. The arrests came to light in March through reporting by Pajhwok Afghan News.

QNet operates without registration from an office in the Shahr-e-Naw district of Kabul, with regional offices scattered throughout the city. The operation targets young Afghans with promises of easy money and quick wealth. But the scheme works like most pyramid operations: recruits pay membership fees only to discover they've been scammed and are now expected to rope in more members to recoup their losses.

A Pajhwok reporter visited the company's office and confirmed it was operating in direct violation of the ban. Several QNet members told the news outlet the same story. They showed up looking for legitimate work. After handing over membership fees, they realized the company had no real product to sell and no genuine employment to offer. The only money changing hands was going to the company's operators.

Suhaila Karimi, a university graduate from Herat, found herself trapped after investing heavily in the scheme. Her friends who remain in the network face the same bind: they've sunk money into the operation and feel forced to recruit others just to have a chance of recovering their investment. Leaving means losing everything they put in.

The pattern mirrors QNet's international operations, where recruits consistently report being misled about earning potential and left scrambling to find new members to justify their initial payments.

The bans haven't stopped QNet. Afghan authorities continue receiving complaints about the operation, according to Pajhwok, though it remains unclear whether they'll pursue additional enforcement action. The company's global presence remains strongest in South Africa, India, and Russia, where similar complaints have surfaced.

The case underscores a recurring problem in Afghanistan and beyond: fake business opportunities targeting young people desperate for income, with authorities struggling to shut down operations that simply relocate or rebrand when pressure mounts.

🤖 Quick Answer

What action did Afghanistan's Ministry of the Interior take against QNet?
Afghanistan's Ministry of the Interior shut down QNet in mid-2020 due to its illegal pyramid scheme operations. However, the scheme continued functioning illegally throughout the country despite the official closure and regulatory intervention by authorities.

How many QNet staff members and promoters were arrested in Kabul?
Forty staff members and promoters were arrested in Kabul on fraud charges. A court sentenced 39 of them to 18 months imprisonment, while one received a sentence of one year and one month. The arrests became public knowledge in March through reporting by Pajhwok Afghan News.

How does QNet target its victims in Afghanistan?
QNet operates without proper registration from offices in Kabul's Shahr-e-Naw district and regional locations throughout the city. The scheme specifically targets young Afghans with promises of easy

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