Afghan Rulers Employed Abandoned British Gear to Track Down Local Nationals Who Worked Alongside Western Forces, Investigation Hears
A whistleblower has revealed an official investigation that the UK abandoned classified devices enabling the Taliban to locate Afghans who worked with western forces.
Information Leak Endangers Thousands at Risk
Person A, identified as Person A, explained that people concerned by the information breach were instructed to move homes and switch their mobile numbers to ensure their safety from the ruling authorities.
MPs are looking into official management of a serious breach of private information concerning approximately 19k Afghans who had requested to relocate to Britain to avoid the Taliban.
Data Disclosure Happened
A spreadsheet including confidential details, including names, contact details and occasionally family information, was inadvertently disclosed by a worker working at British military command in last year.
The incident came to light only in August 2023, when details of several individuals who had requested to settle in Britain were posted on social media.
Militant Technology
“There seems to be a false assumption that the Taliban lack similar capabilities that allied forces use,” she told lawmakers.
“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they possess it. Should they obtain mobile details, they are able to track you down to within metres. This is exactly how specialized teams did.”
Under inquiry about whether the Taliban owned advanced decryption, Person A declared: “They possess all resources.”
Aftermath of the Information Leak
Initial findings presented to the committee suggested that approximately fifty relatives and associates of people concerned by the breach had been killed.
A superinjunction about the leak was enacted in late 2023 and blocked any information regarding the matter from public disclosure until July 2025.
Safety Measures
Given injunction limitations, the whistleblower and the aid group she was working with informed Afghan families they were supporting that they had “suspicions that somebody's phone had been intercepted”.
“We advised that they relocate where feasible and altered their mobile numbers. That constituted the two main details that, should militant forces acquired such data, would cause identification and capture,” the source testified.
Challenged Assessments
Person A argued that government assessment conducted by an ex-government employee had been incorrect to state that the obtaining of the information by the Taliban was “minimally impact an individual's existing exposure”.
“The important fact is that these individuals are not confronting the authorities; they remain concealed. Everything boils down to their previous employment.”
Person A described horrific abuse experienced by concerned people, comprising electrocution, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings.
“Instances include four-year-old children who have had bones crushed to force households to reveal locations,” Person A stated.
