Afghanistans vice and virtue police have raided Western bars and restaurants in Kabul, seizing thousands of gallons of alcohol and arresting at least six waitresses, accusing them of being prostitutes. In scenes reminiscent of the Taleban, officers armed with AK47 rifles targeted four well-known nightspots on Monday night and Tuesday morning, calling them centres of immorality. The French owner of one of Kabuls best-known bars was also detained. The waitresses, from an upmarket restaurant popular with diplomats, were forced to undergo intrusive medical tests to ascertain whom they might have been sleeping with, police officials said. Friends said that the women, from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, were still in shock last night. These guesthouses were the centres of immorality and the centres of alcohol, General Sayed Abdul Ghafar, Kabuls chief detective, told The Times. They sold alcohol freely to everyone. Senior Afghan officials said that the raids were ordered by Mohammed Hanif Atmar, the Interior Minister, who enjoys British and US support. His spokesman insisted that it was purely a police matter. Although selling and consuming alcohol is prohibited under Afghan law, all four restaurants were licensed by the Ministry of Information and Culture, which has long issued exemptions for restaurants catering to Kabuls expat community. Foreigners are not covered by this law, said Mohammed Nabi Farahi, the deputy Culture Minister. Thats why they have permission to drink alcohol in restaurants that have permits from the Ministry of Information and Culture and to sell alcohol, just to foreigners. Analysts fear that the raids may be linked to worsening relations between President Karzai and the West. Mr Karzai threatened this month to join the Taleban in response to unwelcome pressure from America. General Ghafar said that officers seized 1,164 bottles of wine and 5,194 bottles of beer. Staff at the restaurants said that large quantities of whisky and other spirits were also confiscated. We are waiting for the orders of the minister, General Ghafar said. Later on ... of course we will burn all these bottles, according to our law. The restaurateurs were less sure. The police seize alcohol and drink it themselves, said a manager who asked not to be named. His restaurant lost $6,000 (3,900) worth of stock. The first restaurant to be raided was Boccaccios, by the American Embassy. Police who guard the road said that 40 officers arrived at 9.30pm on Monday night and cleared out the restaurants wine cellar. Martinis, a new nightclub, and a tapas bar called Los Amigos were next, followed by LAtmosphre, a popular French restaurant that opened in 2004. A chain of Chinese brothels, masquerading as restaurants, was shut down after similar raids in 2006 and 2007. Many Afghans perceive the restaurants as the same. Natos bases used to have a ready supply of beer and wine but General Stanley McChrystal ended this on US bases in September last year. French, Italian and German bases still serve freely to their soldiers but, outside the wires, it has become increasingly difficult to obtain alcohol. There is at least one Afghan entrepreneur who delivers crates of lager under cover of darkness from the back of his Toyota Corolla. A shopkeeper in the downtown area of the city has, amid his groceries, a false door that usually conceals a healthy stockpile of beer. But a reliable supply of fine wines and spirits is about as rare as a peaceful day in Afghanistan. Supplying alcohol carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. The police said that they were waiting for the Attorney-Generals office to decide how to proceed. (The Times)