An Afghan Air Force officer walks away from a helicopter. Rafiq Maqbool/AP file photo
Afghan Air Force probed in drug running
The service was established largely with American funds.
The U.S. is investigating allegations that officials in the Afghan Air Force, which was established largely with American funds, have been using aircraft to ferry narcotics and illegal weapons around the country, The Wall Street Journal reports.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Daniel Bolger called the allegations “fairly dramatic,” saying that Afghan Air Force officials are being investigated for ferrying the materials on aircraft not owned by the Afghan government. Bolger cautioned that the investigation was still preliminary and the allegations could not be proved at this stage.
As part of the inquiry, the military also is looking into whether such activities can be linked to an April incident in which an Afghan Air Force colonel gunned down eight U.S. Air Force officers at Kabul Airport.
An Afghan Air Force spokesman denied the allegations and said he was unaware of any investigations.