DUSHANBE, November 16, 2011, Asia-Plus – Russian aircraft Antonov AN-72 has been impounded at the Kabul airport, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on November 15.

The Kabul airport head told RFE/RL that the plane that was serving the Supreme Food Company (the Netherlands) was detained following an order by the Ministry of Transport of Afghanistan.  The plane was reportedly impounded because it did not have permission to fly over Afghan territory.

Earlier, two more Russian aircraft had been detained in Kabul, Radio Liberty reported.  Details of that incident are unknown.

On November 8, a Tajik court sentenced Captain Vladimir Sadovnichiy (Russian national) and Captain Aleksey Rudenko (citizen of Estonia) to 8 ½ years in prison each.

The pilots were arrested in March, when the An-72 cargo planes they were piloting landed at the Qurghon Teppa airport for unscheduled refueling en route to Russia from Afghanistan.  The cargo of one of the planes included a disassembled aircraft engine that was not listed on the customs declaration.

The planes were confiscated.  Both of the planes were owned by Rolkan Investments Ltd., which was also serving Supreme Food.

The Afghan authorities refrain from officially commenting on this subject, but the BBC earlier reported that the Afghan authorities have confirmed that the pilots working for Rolkan Investments Ltd were arrested in Tajikistan at their request.  Besides, the source in Kabul, who wanted to remain unnamed, told the BBC that seven employees of Afghan national air carrier, Ariana Airlines, had been arrested.  They are accused of helping the Rolkan Investments Ltd pilots illegally leave Afghanistan.  Meanwhile, speaking to RFE/RL, the Ariana Airlines Moin Khan Wardak denied that information.