Former special forces soldier ‘Canadian Dave’ taken by the Taliban: sources

David Lavery, a former Canadian special forces soldier who helped approximately 100 people flee Afghanistan during the fall of Kabul, has been “picked up” by the Taliban this week, according to multiple sources who spoke to CTV National News on the condition of anonymity.

Sources tell CTV News that Lavery was taken away shortly after a flight he was on landed in Kabul on Monday. While his whereabouts are currently unknown, sources believe that Lavery is being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Lavery, a founding member of JTF2, the elite special forces operation with the Canadian Army, has spent a number of years travelling into Afghanistan where he operates his private security company, Raven Rae Consulting Services, in Kabul.

In an email, Global Affairs Canada confirms it’s “aware of an incident involving a Canadian in Afghanistan. Canadian officials continue to monitor the situation closely and are providing consular assistance.”

CTV News asked Global Affairs Canada if Prime Minister Trudeau’s office has been briefed on the disappearance of Lavery in Afghanistan, but they declined to answer the question.

Lavery is known in Afghanistan as “Canadian Dave.” During the fall of Kabul in August 2021, Lavery was one of the only Canadians on the ground at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Embassy staff had already fled the country on evacuation flights, and it would be another four days before Canadian Forces would arrive to help.

Lavery was given a list of more than 1,000 people trying to seek refuge in Canada. His team’s mission was to help extract those with valid Canadian documentation amid the crush of people who’d flooded the security perimeter outside the airport.

Those trying to flee to Canada were told to wear red and look for a man named, “Canadian Dave.”

One source who spoke to CTV News shared their surprise when learning of Lavery’s disappearance this week, acknowledging that the Taliban would have been aware of Lavery’s presence and work in Afghanistan over a number of years.