Ten British soldiers from £120m battlegroup ‘face being kicked out of Army after Cyprus cocaine binge’
TEN British soldiers face being kicked out of the Army after they were reportedly caught taking cocaine.
The troops - from the Army's £120million Experimentation Battlegroup - are said to have failed drug tests at their top security base in Cyprus.
It was confirmed tonight that the soldiers "can expect to be discharged" after they binged on the Class A drug on a night out at the holiday resort of Paphos, the reports.
The resort is 30 miles from their base at Episkopi Garrison.
The troops are understood to have returned to base in the early hours and were later confronted by Army drug testers.
Military police are now said to have now launched an investigation into soldiers taking drugs on the island, which the Mail was told is "rife".
Defence sources told the paper the drugs test took place back in April - and everyone serving at the base was tested.
It comes after the Experimentation Battlegroup was given to the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment (2 Yorks) two months ago, with Special forces officers drafted in to help.
The new battlegroup was designed to "develop capabilities to be tested on exercises and operations" by "supercharging experimentation" with revolutionary technology and techniques.
A statement from the Army released back in March, said: "The unit will draw on troops from the Yorkshire Regiment and will include the creation of a multi-domain opposing force (OPFOR).
"Prototype warfare concepts will be developed for testing on exercises and future operations, mimicking the pace and intensity of transformation on the battlefield."
2 Yorks was founded in 2004 as part of a restructuring of infantry.
It moved to Cyprus for a two-year tour of duty in December 2020.
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It comes after nine soldiers, including two women, from the Royal Horse Artillery were kicked out of the Army earlier this year after taking cocaine.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The Army does not tolerate drug abuse within its ranks as it is incompatible with military service and operational effectiveness.
"Army personnel caught taking drugs can expect to be discharged."
