Lad who claimed to have ‘tea with the Taliban’ now prisoner with two other Brits
Three British men are being held prisoner in Afghanistan by Taliban forces, it has been reported.
The trio being held by Taliban secret police includes so-called “dangerous tourist” Miles Routledge who made headlines for visiting the country for a ‘holiday’.
Non-profit organisation the Presidium Network is assisting two of the men, who have been held by the forces since January, according to The Mail on Sunday.
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Charity medic Kevin Cornwell, 53, and a second unnamed British national who manages a hotel for aid workers in the capital Kabul were detained in separate incidents.
Scott Richards, from Presidium Network, said: "To our knowledge and awareness, we do believe they are in good health and being well treated.
"We have no reason to believe they've been subject to any negative treatment such as torture and we're told that they are as good as can be expected in such circumstances."
Mr Richards said there has been "no meaningful contact" between authorities and the two men Presidium is assisting.
It is not known how long Routledge has been held, according to Sky News.
The young YouTube vlogger often boasted to his thousands of followers that he travels to the most dangerous places for fun.
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In one of his clips, after returning to Afghanistan, Routledge filmed Taliban troops shooting guns – despite being evacuated from the country in 2021, funded by British taxpayers.
After his evacuation, he then returned to the country where he claimed to have "had tea with the armed group", even calling them "kind blokes".
Other clips showed him blasting automatic rifles with a Taliban fighter and visiting a weapons market in the city of Jalalabad, a stronghold for terrorists affiliated to Islamic State.
The UK does not have an embassy or any consulates in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.
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Cornwell, a married father from Middlesbrough, was arrested in a raid at his hotel by officers from the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) on January 11.
Taliban agents accused him of having an illegal firearm in the safe in his room at the Darya Village Hotel, which is popular with Western humanitarian staff.
His family said he had been granted a licence for the handgun by the Taliban government.
The hotel manager was also detained but has not been named at the request of his family.
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The families are being supported by Scott Richards, an experienced negotiator with Presidium Network.
Yesterday, a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) spokesman said: "We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families."
The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Afghanistan based on the security risks, including detention.
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