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By Duncan Gardham and Zubair Babakarkhail
5:52PM GMT 04 Jan 2012
The men were buying weapons from two Afghan arms dealers who were arrested at the same time, a private security source close to the situation told the Daily Telegraph.
The four men were transporting the weapons to a range to test fire them before the deal was finalised, the source said.
Mohammed Zahair, of the Kabul police, said the men were stopped as they drove from the airport towards the Jalalabad road.
“They were caught on the road at a check point,” he added. “They are in custody and our investigations are continuing.”
Ayoub Salangi, the chief of police in Kabul, said some of the weapons did not have serial numbers or the numbers had been removed.
"We asked the company to show their licence but they are yet to do so," he added.
It is understood the firm claims that paperwork was filed with the Ministry of the Interior notifying them of the deal.
However there was concern that the incident could escalate tensions between the Afghan government and the private security firms.
Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, issued a decree in August 2010 banning most private security companies.
But aid organisations, foreign businessmen, and diplomats all objected to the proposal saying it would be impossible for them to continue to work in the country without such protection.
Mr Karzai eventually backed off the idea but set a new deadline for March this year when their work is supposed to be taken over by the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF).
He has claimed that the money the security firms pay represents a barrier to the development of local police forces. It has also been claimed that the private militias alienate local people.
However objectors to Mr Karzai’s plans point out that many foreign organisations would refuse to rely on the Afghan police, who are widely seen as inefficient and corrupt.
A US congressional report last year found that the number of private security personnel working for the US military in Afghanistan rose to 18,919 at the end of 2010. Around 95 percent of them were Afghans.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office confirmed that two British nationals had been detained by Afghan authorities in Kabul.
"The British Embassy is in contact with the Afghan authorities and stands ready to provide consular assistance,” the spokesman added.
By Duncan Gardham and Zubair Babakarkhail
5:52PM GMT 04 Jan 2012
The men were buying weapons from two Afghan arms dealers who were arrested at the same time, a private security source close to the situation told the Daily Telegraph.
The four men were transporting the weapons to a range to test fire them before the deal was finalised, the source said.
Mohammed Zahair, of the Kabul police, said the men were stopped as they drove from the airport towards the Jalalabad road.
“They were caught on the road at a check point,” he added. “They are in custody and our investigations are continuing.”
Ayoub Salangi, the chief of police in Kabul, said some of the weapons did not have serial numbers or the numbers had been removed.
"We asked the company to show their licence but they are yet to do so," he added.
It is understood the firm claims that paperwork was filed with the Ministry of the Interior notifying them of the deal.
However there was concern that the incident could escalate tensions between the Afghan government and the private security firms.
Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, issued a decree in August 2010 banning most private security companies.
But aid organisations, foreign businessmen, and diplomats all objected to the proposal saying it would be impossible for them to continue to work in the country without such protection.
Mr Karzai eventually backed off the idea but set a new deadline for March this year when their work is supposed to be taken over by the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF).
He has claimed that the money the security firms pay represents a barrier to the development of local police forces. It has also been claimed that the private militias alienate local people.
However objectors to Mr Karzai’s plans point out that many foreign organisations would refuse to rely on the Afghan police, who are widely seen as inefficient and corrupt.
A US congressional report last year found that the number of private security personnel working for the US military in Afghanistan rose to 18,919 at the end of 2010. Around 95 percent of them were Afghans.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office confirmed that two British nationals had been detained by Afghan authorities in Kabul.
"The British Embassy is in contact with the Afghan authorities and stands ready to provide consular assistance,” the spokesman added.
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