Taliban Utilized Abandoned British Equipment to Track Down Local Nationals That Served Alongside Western Forces, Inquiry Hears
A confidential source has told the Afghan leak inquiry that British authorities failed to secure confidential technology enabling the Taliban to identify Afghans who collaborated with international military.
Information Leak Puts Thousands at Risk
Person A, known as Person A, testified that individuals impacted by the data leak were told to relocate and switch their mobile numbers to ensure their safety from the Taliban.
Members of Parliament are investigating official handling of a massive breach of confidential data affecting nearly 19,000 Afghans who had requested to move to Britain to flee militant rule.
The Information Breach Occurred
An electronic document containing their personal data, including names, addresses and sometimes household data, was mistakenly released by an official stationed at British military command in early 2022.
The incident became known in late 2023, when identities of multiple applicants who had sought to relocate to Britain appeared on Facebook.
Regime's Resources
It appears there is this misconception that militant forces do not have comparable resources that western nations possess,” Person A informed lawmakers.
“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they have it. Once they acquire a contact number, they can locate you down to within metres. That is what intelligence groups achieved.”
When questioned about if militant forces had access to advanced decryption, the source confirmed: “They've got everything.”
Aftermath of the Security Lapse
Early investigations presented to the committee indicated that at least 49 family members and co-workers of individuals impacted by the breach had been murdered.
A superinjunction concerning the incident was enacted in last year and blocked all details concerning it from media reporting until mid-2025.
Protective Actions
Given injunction limitations, Person A and the volunteer organization she collaborated with told Afghan families they were working with that they had “suspicions that mobile communications had been breached”.
“We recommended that they change residence when possible and changed their mobile numbers. That constituted the crucial data that, should militant forces had access to this information, would result in their location being found,” Person A explained.
Contested Findings
The whistleblower contested that internal investigation conducted by a former official had been wrong to state that the possession of the information by the regime was “not significantly alter current risk levels”.
“The thing to remember is that these Afghans are not confronting militant forces; they are in hiding. Everything boils down to former occupations.”
She detailed terrible violence suffered by at-risk Afghans, involving electrocution, waterboarding, and physical abuse.
“Instances include four-year-old children who have had limbs fractured to try to get the family to reveal locations,” Person A stated.
