Officials in Farah province reported that police along the Herat-Kandahar highway have derelicted their duties and been involved a number of cases of criminal activity and abuse of power.
The Highway Police office in Farah said that a number of trouble-makers, who have close cooperation with the Taliban, had been indentified and would be dealt with accordingly.
Meanwhile, TOLOnews gained access to a video in which a man in a police uniform stops vehicles on the Kabul-Kandahar highway and extorts money from people.
Former police officers said they have left their jobs in part due to crooked cops.
"Working alongside these people is impossible, their only work was taking extortion and making trouble and we were not able to prevent them because they are supporting by strong people inside the Farah Police Headquarter," former Herat-Kandahar Battalion leader Haji Mustafa said. "So I resigned."
"IThe men are taking money by force and have links with the Taliban, so working beside them threatens our lives," former highway police commander Besmillah Sahebzada said.
According to some, the Taliban connection runs deeper than most know.
"Previously, these people were kidnapping drivers and interpreters of foreign forces for money," Fara police officer Abdul Wahed said. "And they were planting roadside bombs in cooperation with the Taliban."
Meanwhile the Ministry of Interior Spokesman Sediq Sediqi refused the claims, but assured there would be a follow-up.
"We refuse the claims and also will follow up on the video and behavior of the police forces working in the highway," Sediqi told TOLOnews.
Herat-Kandahar highway is known to be a dangerous way to travel in Afghanistan, with frequent robberies, bombings, and kidnappings every day.
To watch the full TOLOnews report, click here:
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