The heat seeking shoulder-fired missile was captured Thursday on the outskirts of the capital and police said it was unclear whether the weapon was meant for sale or some sort of attack.

"We received a report that the missile was being brought into the city -- we sent our police at the right time and seized the weapon," Kabul city police chief Akram Khakrizwal told AFP.

He said a hunt for the man was underway.

"An investigation will determine whether the Stinger was smuggled for sale or for an attack," he added.

In the past the United States bought back an unspecified number of Stringer missiles that were given to Islamic Mujahedin fighters during Afghanistan's 1979-89 occupation by the former Soviet Union.

The search for "dozens" of remaining Stingers around the country continues with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) offering 150,000 to 200,000 dollars for each missile, according to an Afghan intelligence official.

More than 18,000 coalition troops, dominated by some 16,000 US soldiers, are in Afghanistan fighting militants. Another 8,000 foreign troops under the NATO command are maintaining security in Kabul and some northern provinces.