Three British men have been held in custody by the Taliban in Afghanistan, including the 'danger tourist' Miles Routledge, who was evacuated from the country two years ago.
The other two men detained by Taliban secret police were seized on 11 January. One of them has been named as 53-year-old charity medic Kevin Cornwell, while the other is an 'unnamed UK national' who manages a Kabul hotel, which is used by humanitarian aid workers.
They are being helped by the non-profit group Presidium Network, who says Cornwell and the unnamed man were able to speak to their families in an 'emotional call'.
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It is not known how long Routledge has been held by the Taliban for, his last social media activity was on 27 February, where he posted about throwing a mug at his flatmate's head for not believing in the bible.
Just a few days earlier on 24 February, he posted about being in Dubai for half a day in-between flights.
The home secretary has suggested that the government is 'in negotiations' to secure the release of the three men.
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Scott Richards of the Presidium Network said two of the men were able to speak for around a minute and a half with their families and that they were 'being treated fairly'.
Routledge first shot to fame on the internet in 2021 after going on holiday to Afghanistan and getting caught up in the withdrawal from the country following the collapse of the government and the Taliban returning to power.
Last year he posted pictures of himself back in Afghanistan saying he was having 'tea with the Taliban', though a few days later, the 'danger tourist' said he ended up with food poisoning.
He had been in Peshawar, Pakistan before running out of money and taking a rickshaw to the Afghan border.
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Routledge also expressed an interest in visiting Ukraine, about a month before Russia declared war, and launched their invasion.
The 'danger tourist' also admitted to illegally crossing multiple borders in an attempt to see his girlfriend, only to get a call telling him he was going to be dumped.
He had previously claimed on social media that Brooklyn, New York had felt more dangerous than Afghanistan.
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The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises against all travel to Afghanistan based on the high chance of risk to personal security, including detention.
The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, said when it came to citizens being detained abroad the British government would 'do whatever it takes to ensure that they're safe'.
She added that anyone travelling to the more dangerous parts of the world should 'take the utmost caution' and 'always act on the Foreign Office travel advice'.
Topics: World News, UK News, Terrorism
Joe Harker