Taliban Used Abandoned British Equipment to Track Down Afghans Who Worked With Western Troops, Investigation Is Told
A confidential source has disclosed the Afghan leak inquiry that British authorities failed to secure confidential equipment allowing the militant group to identify Afghans who collaborated with western forces.
Data Breach Puts Thousands in Danger
The whistleblower, identified as Person A, stated that Afghans affected by the data leak were instructed to change residences and change their contact details to protect themselves from the Taliban.
Members of Parliament are looking into the UK government's response of a massive disclosure of confidential data affecting nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to relocate to Britain to flee the regime.
Data Disclosure Occurred
A data file including confidential details, comprising names, phone numbers and occasionally household data, was accidentally leaked by an official working at British military command in early 2022.
The incident was discovered only in August 2023, when details of several individuals who had applied to settle in the UK surfaced on social media.
Militant Technology
Many believe there's a misunderstanding that militant forces are without comparable resources that we have,” she told MPs.
Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they possess it. Should they obtain your phone number, they can locate you down to within metres. That's precisely what specialized teams did.”
During testimony about whether the Taliban possessed advanced decryption, Person A confirmed: “They've got everything.”
Aftermath of the Security Lapse
Early investigations presented to the committee estimated that at least 49 kin and co-workers of individuals impacted by the leak had been executed.
A legal restriction regarding the incident was enacted in late 2023 and blocked relevant facts about it from media reporting until July 2025.
Protective Actions
Due to legal constraints, the whistleblower and the aid group she was working with told Afghan families they were supporting that they had “suspicions that certain devices had been breached”.
“We advised that they change residence if they could and switched their phone numbers. Those were the crucial data that, if the Taliban had access to this information, would cause them being traced,” the source testified.
Disputed Conclusions
The whistleblower contested that government assessment carried out by a former official had been mistaken to determine that the acquisition of the information by militant forces was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.
“The important fact is that these individuals are not standing up to militant forces; they remain concealed. Everything boils down to past work history.”
Person A described horrific treatment endured by affected individuals, comprising electric shock torture, simulated drowning, and violent assaults.
“We have had toddlers who have had their arms broken to pressure households to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.
