Afghan authorities have withdrawn vehicle registration plates that feature the number 39, which has long been linked to sex trafficking and prostitution.
Amrullah Saleh, the Vice President, issued a decree on this matter during the current week to end what has become an enticing source of corruption within the Afghan administration. He wrote on his Facebook account: "The number 39 will be removed from the trading system. It is said that people pay the equivalent of 300 dollars in bribes to avoid this number."
The story of number 39 involves insults and mockery directed at drivers of vehicles whose license plates contain this number, due to its association with sex trafficking in this conservative Islamic country. However, the exact origin of the meaning of 39 has faded over time; it is said to be connected to a famous pimp in the city of Herat in western Afghanistan, whose vehicle registration plate bore this number.
Many car buyers agree to pay bribes to officials to avoid getting this number on new car plates. Hakim, a car dealer in Kabul, told the AFP news agency that employees at the vehicle registration office "ask car owners if they want the number 39 or not. If they say no, they ask them to pay a bribe." He confirmed that no one agrees to buy a used car that has this number because it is considered "a shame."
He added, "Last year, I had to sell two cars for almost half their original price because their license plates contained the number 39."
The shame associated with the number 39 is not limited to vehicles; Afghans can also face ridicule and harassment if the number appears in their phone number or address.
